Sir,
This is regarding the write up “Darbar move: a raging controversy written by K.N Pandita and published in DE November 02, 2019.It is a matter of great concern that public money of near about Rs 800 crores is being expended by the J&K Government annually for payment to its employees and others expenses like transportation of official records etc for moving from winter capital to summer capital and vice versa. Since in those days no communication system existed to contact with the field officers and staff of the whole state due to its vast area as such it appears that this practice of Darbar Move may have been started by the early Dogra Rulers to ensure that both the regions (including Laddakh which was part of Kashmir Region before 31/10/2019) could be well administered by remaining present there for six month at each region. However this practice was continued after independence also by the successive Governments to ensure that people of each region may contact the administration regarding the settlement of their issues which are dealt with in the civil secretariat.
The author has suggested stopping this practice of Darbar move bi-annually and proposed to built new secretariat in south Kashmir somewhere downstream of Verinag.But I do not feel that such a proposal would be useful for the people of Jammu region nor it will be acceptable. Rather it will create a new controversy and the present Government will not take such risk. The People of Jammu region already feel discrimination as they are not given due share in administration as well as in Government Jobs, allotment of funds, development, raising of infrastructure for tourism etc. The People of Jammu know how they got sanctioned AIIMS in Jammu. There are so many other instances where the people of Jammu region had to struggle to get their due share. Every Government whether it is present or past each such Government has been Kashmir centric. These Governments did not pay much attention to the Jammu region. The people of Jammu region never demanded for Union Territory rather they were demanding separate state for Jammu region. We have heard people of Union Territory demanding a State but it is first time in the History of Independent India that a full fledged state has been downgraded and bifurcated in to two Union Territories.
It is also a fact that it is not possible for each employee to move with darbar along with his family as he has to keep his family at his home town due to various reasons. Such employee has to visit his home town regularly to sort out the domestic affairs which results in pendency of his allotted work. Moreover, the inconvenience is caused to Darbar Move staff/ officers and they cannot devote their time sincerely while performing their official duties due to staying away from their families. In such cases the ultimate sufferer is public.
Hence I feel that the Civil Secretariat should permanently function at Srinagar and Jammu throughout the year. There should be no Darbar Move. The Work of the civil secreteriate may be distributed region wise. Only the Principal Secretaries and DGP should move fortnightly between Jammu and Srinagar to dispose off the cases put up for their approval in the Civil Secretariat. Urgent cases can be approved electronically i.e. through emails or video conferencing. Shortage of staff due to functioning of Civil Secretariat together at Jammu and Srinagar may be made up by new recruitments. In this way huge public money being expended bi-annually would be saved.
S.S.Jamwal
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