JKNPP protests against Darbar Move practice

Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) today held a day-long protest in front of the Governor House against the traditional Darbar Move terming it to be a 'wasteful expenditure' on the state exchequer.
Led by State president of JKNPP and MLA from Udhampur, Balwant Singh Mankotia, over 150 workers and leaders of the party today held demonstrations and protests against the State government against Drabar Move from Jammu to Srinagar.
Darbar Move is a bi-annual exercise of shifting the secretariat and all other government offices from capital city to another in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
It involves housing offices from May to October in State's summer capital, Srinagar and rest six months in its winter capital, Jammu. The tradition began during Dogra rule in 1872 by Maharaja Ranbir Singh.

The JKNPP activists shouted anti-government slogans and held demonstrations in support of their demand to the practice at halt.
Mankotia said that Darbar Move "tradition" was started in 1872 by Maharaja Ranbir Singh and was the need of the hour then, but in today's modern world of communication it a wasteful exercise.

JKNPP leader batted strongly for running the Secretariat on the pattern of J&K High Court, around the year on both places without moving files. "If High Court can work on both the places, why not the Civil secretariat?" he asked.
MLA claimed that over Rs 300 crore of wasteful expenditure is incurred on Darbar move exercise, which can be used for the development of state and giving full salaries to the youth, who will get employment under new recruitment policy with less than half of (the regular) salary.

"We urge Governor, N N Vohra to direct the State government to not shift the files related to Jammu province to the Valley," he added.