Darbar Move wastage of money: Omar

Jammu : As the Durbar Move offices reopen in this summer capital on 7th of next month, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah termed the 140-year-old bi-annual shifting of government offices from Srinagar to Jammu and vice-versa as “wastage of money”. 

Even as he advocated examining of South African model of capitals for Jammu and Kashmir, the scion of Kashmir’s first family feels consensus on it was “impossible.”
“Do I think the ‘Durbar move’ is a waste of money? Yes I do. Is there an alternative? I haven’t seen a viable alternative suggested,” Omar wrote on the micro-blogging site twitter.com.
“I have often talked about examining the South African model but consensus is impossible to find,” he added.
Started by Maharaja Ghulab Singh in 1872, the bi-annual practice costs state exchequer crores of rupees on travel allowances for the nearly 5,000 employees and transportation of hundreds of thousands of files between the twin capitals. The century-old practice also amounts for the loss of a number of working days. The move offices will close in Jammu on April 28 and reopen here on May 7.
In response to a tweet, the 41-year-old Chief Minister also accepted that the Darbar move practice was “escapist” for leaders.
“I agree. We run away when people need us most and (they) face the most difficulty. The darbar move is escapist,” he said.
The practice was started to escape extreme weather conditions in Jammu and Srinagar by the Maharaja.
Meanwhile, government has started work to give this summer capital facelift as the seat of the government shifts next month in the scenic valley.
The refurbishing work on ministers’ bungalows and employee quarters at Channapora, Tulsi Bagh, Magarmal Bagh, Bemina, Budshah and Jawahar Nagar is likely to start in next few days.