Risheesh Khajuria
Every year crore of rupees are spent just to carry on with a tradition which has lost its relevance long ago. Have we ever wondered why this practice of wasteful expenditure of hard earned public money is being continued in the State of J&K in this present era of technology. Does anyone know the exact cost of a single durbar move carried out in our state? If we just consider the direct monetary cost it is around 60 crores on a single move and there is no account of other indirect or associated expenses related to durbar move viz. security arrangements, TA/DA, moving of family members, private transportation, breakage, pollution, accidents, wear and tear of things, health & psychological issues, expenses done due to staying away from home for six months, miscellaneous expenses, etc., etc.
Times have changed drastically since the time this practice was started in 1872. At that time this could have been a need to meet people’s aspirations and also an escape from harsh weather conditions when technology was not that advanced but in the present era this is a sheer waste of money when we have so many alternatives available and also have so many issues to think about and deal with where this money could prove to be a great asset.
Some people support durbar move with the argument that it is necessary and important for maintaining harmonious and friendly ties between people of the different regions of the state which again is a very weak argument. Of course we the people of J&K want to maintain the relations but how a practice like durbar move can be the only way of maintaining the harmonious relations. There are a number of ways to improve the relations like organizing cultural fests, integration camps, tours, exhibitions, conferences, meetings, student exchange programmes, tourism, etc. Don’t we have harmonious relations with the people of other parts of the country having different cultures and languages? Do we change our national capital every few years to meet the demands of people residing in different parts of the country?
Similarly some people support durbar move with the plea that it is an escape from the harsh weather conditions prevailing in the two regions of the state. Now the question arises what about the people of other far flung regions of the state like Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, Kishtwar or Leh-Ladakh who also faces the same problem or is this move meant only for the benefit of people residing in the two capital cities of J&K. Do the people of the both the regions of the state move completely to the other part along with their families and belongings when the government shifts its base – then how can it be considered as beneficial for all the people of state? In fact this durbar move is moving away from the people for your own benefit. Do we have the same weather conditions prevailing in all the parts of the country for the so called smooth functioning of the administration or governments? Do countries having severe weather conditions not prospering; be it UAE, Canada, Denmark or other European countries for that matter. Then what is the justification of carrying on with this useless exercise every six months.
Politicians and bureaucrats do not feel the pinch because they are provided with the best of the facilities where even their families accompany them and enjoy the hospitality being provided from the state funds – name it and you have it — accommodation, food, travel, privacy and other privileges – they have the best of everything. Why would they worry or raise their voice against this wasteful exercise. The pain is felt by the common people who are kept waiting for six months to get their jobs done or the normal employees who are stacked inside hotels like poultry with no one coming to their rescue when they face problems. The quality of food and hygiene in most of the hotels is good enough for making a healthy person infected with jaundice or diarrhea what to talk of other problems they face right from harassment at the hands of hotel owners to tantrums of the waiters. No health official bothers to visit these hotels to check their food and hygienic conditions. No one from secretariat or estates department comes even once to find out whether all the facilities as per the contract are being provided to the employees or not. Nowadays even jails are better than these hotels.
For the non-gazetted officials the situation is even worse – they cannot even live their life normally and stress free as they have to share their accommodation with someone else where they have to always keep in mind the behavior and reaction of the other person. Two people in one room for six months can definitely create psychological and behavioral problems when you have no privacy to express your feelings or live your life as you want especially when room mates are not selected as per your choice, it can be anyone. Can senior officers imagine of sharing room with someone unknown for six months? I bet they would get frustrated in a single day. Rank, pay and status is one thing but there are some basic human requirements that need to be fulfilled – how can we expect a person to be happy or respond positively when he is himself frustrated or in stress – imagine a situation where you are putting up in a room with someone and you cannot talk to your family and friends properly, cannot sleep properly, cannot eat properly, cannot relax properly or for that matter cannot burp or fart properly what to talk of other things – this is not a student’s hostel life situation.
And then the government asks why people are not satisfied with our policies. Common people do not understand big policies and projects; of course they are important for the development of any state or country but what common people want and understand is the fulfillment of their basic needs viz. roti, kapdaa aur makaan and other basic facilities so that they can lead their life normally, peacefully and happily. We have money to waste on durbar move but we don’t have money to meet the needs of the common masses.
It is high time that the state government should find alternatives to this useless practice of shifting capitals every six months at the cost of people’s money. They should do some brainstorming involving intelligentsia of the state or go for a SWOT (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats) analysis of this durbar move practice so as to find out whether there is any benefit in continuing with this useless exercise or not. If the Government cannot find a solution then who can? Merely saying that there are no alternatives available or the government tried once but people protested against it is not going to solve the problem – take the people into confidence and explain the things in detail – there is no reason people won’t understand.
With every passing year the number of employees and the cost of durbar move are increasing and it is becoming difficult to feed this white elephant. We must do something about this or a day will come when this giant will swallow a considerable part of the economy of our state. There are around forty four offices/departments which move in full and around forty eight which move in camp and there is no need as well as justification for many among these to be a part of durbar move.
One of the solutions could be to use the available infrastructure on as it is basis in both the regions without moving the employees. Most of the offices including the secretariat have got two buildings with a good number of staff available, among whom the work can be divided wherever possible till the time full time staff is recruited. As far as meeting the shortage and availability of staff is concerned which shall be created if Durbar Move is discontinued; the governments itself agrees that there are number of posts lying in various departments which need to be filled and if filled this can solve the problem of shortage of the staff at both the capitals to a great extent. HOD’s and other staff members can be called as and when required or some days in a month can be fixed for meetings on important issues which I am sure will not create any additional burden on the state exchequer and as far as Ministers, Legislatures and Senior Bureaucrats are concerned they are otherwise touring different areas of the state for different purposes which they can continue with. So instead of people moving to secretariat for getting their work done it would be secretariat moving close to people for providing the solutions and here if technology is involved then there is nothing like that but it all depends upon the will and guts of those sitting at the helm of affairs.
In fact this will also create opportunities of promotions for many when two proper functional offices with full staff strength are created as there is a huge stagnation in various departments and here again we don’t have to pay anything extra as most of the senior employees have reached the higher side of their salary pay bands thus awaiting only a change in designations. Ceremonial move can be continued to satisfy the emotions of both the regions if required otherwise this step of creating two full time secretariats should in future lead to opening of full-fledged mini-secretariats and hill development councils (wherever needed) at district levels so that the problems of the people can be solved at the lowest level itself especially in normal matters.
This is just a viewpoint of a few but if the government takes some serious initiatives – a lot can be done and achieved – the only thing needed is the will to do it and will they do it is a very big question because then they will have to rise above the politics which again is a very big issue.
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