Anuj Kumar Verma

The revival of the annual Darbar Move practice by the Omar Abdullah-led government, in this age of Information Technology, e-governance and Artificial Intelligence, is undoubtedly a visionless step. It appears to have been taken in haste, allegedly to appease a small section of shopkeepers in Jammu city. What was once considered necessary when files moved physically from one office to another and governance depended entirely on paper records has become a largely futile exercise today.

Imposing this practice on a city that is already overpopulated, with congested roads and overburdened public services, is difficult to justify, particularly in the present era of digital governance and technological advancement.

The Darbar Move practice was introduced by Maharaja Ranbir Singh in 1872, when Srinagar remained isolated during the winter months due to heavy snowfall, necessitating the physical shifting of the entire administrative machinery to Jammu. At that time, every file, register, receipt and official record had to be transported by road. Governance could not function without this seasonal migration.

However, this practice was discontinued in 2021 by the then administration headed by the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. The transition to the e-Office system enabled files to be transferred digitally between different sections and officers, with the use of digital signatures. This made file processing more efficient and confidential while substantially reducing the scope for corruption and unnecessary delays.

In an era of advanced Information Technology, e-Office and Artificial Intelligence, discontinuing the Darbar Move was a decision taken with considerable foresight and administrative wisdom. It also reportedly saved the government an estimated amount of more than Rs 200 crore annually. These savings could have been utilised for development projects, improving public services in Jammu and creating tourist infrastructure at several neglected destinations across the Jammu region.

Tourist destinations such as the twin lakes of Mansar and Surinsar, Dudu, Basantgarh, R.C. Peak, Sudhmahadev, Mantalai, Panchari, Moungri, Lander, Nuri Chamb, Mughal Maidan, Bhaderwah and Dachean Marwah continue to suffer from government apathy and require immediate attention to establish them on the national tourism map.

By providing all-weather road connectivity and developing essential tourist infrastructure, including parking facilities, restaurants, tourist huts and homestay accommodations, tourist footfall at these beautiful destinations could increase considerably. This would not only promote tourism but also strengthen the local economy of the Jammu region.

The estimated annual saving of Rs 200 crore was reportedly associated with eliminating the transportation of physical files during the Darbar Move in 2021. The actual financial burden of the practice could be considerably higher today, potentially touching Rs 300 crore. Moreover, this estimate does not necessarily account for every expenditure incurred on transportation, security arrangements, accommodation, office infrastructure and administrative disruptions.

For the 2026-27 winter session, the Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered 91 offices and establishments to shift to Jammu, including 41 in full and 50 in camp mode. Each eligible employee moving to Jammu is being paid a uniform Special Move Travelling Allowance of Rs 25,000, while October salaries have also been drawn in advance.

The financial burden does not end there. Every moving employee also receives a Temporary Move Allowance (TMA) of Rs 2,000 per month as part of the salary, amounting to Rs 12,000 over the six-month Darbar period.

In 2019, the government spent Rs 1,213.44 lakh on TMA for 10,112 employees during one Darbar Move and Rs 1,163.40 lakh for 9,695 employees during the other. Together, the TMA expenditure for that year amounted to Rs 2,376.84 lakh, or approximately Rs 23.77 crore.

This clearly indicates that the Darbar Move is not merely a ceremonial shifting of files. It involves recurring payroll-linked entitlements, transportation operations, security arrangements and additional pressure on urban infrastructure and public services, repeated every six months.

The National Conference-led government has once again put the people of Jammu to additional inconvenience, despite the city already facing serious problems of overpopulation and congestion. Over the years, Jammu has witnessed considerable migration from the Pir Panjal and Chenab Valley regions. Numerous new residential colonies have emerged over the last three decades, including on privately owned and encroached land.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

A substantial workforce comprising labourers as well as technically skilled young people from states such as Bihar, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh has also settled in Jammu.

According to the 2011 Census, Jammu district had a population of 15,29,958, of which 7,65,013 people lived in urban areas. Within Jammu Municipal Corporation limits, the population was recorded at 5,76,198. After a gap of 15 years since the last Census, the present population within the JMC limits is estimated to have increased considerably and may be approaching the 10-lakh mark.

In addition, 47,766 Kashmiri migrant families are registered with the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner (Migrants), Jammu. It is important to note that this is a figure representing registered families and not the population residing within Jammu Municipal Corporation limits.

Into this already overstretched city, the Darbar Move brings thousands of government employees, their families, vehicles and security personnel, along with additional demands on essential public services, for a period of six months.

Consequently, the people of Jammu are forced to face prolonged traffic jams, with VIP movements frequently bringing traffic to a standstill for 30 to 40 minutes. Such disruptions cause unnecessary inconvenience to ordinary commuters and affect the daily lives of residents.

The already overburdened government healthcare infrastructure also faces additional pressure during the Darbar Move months. Government Medical College Jammu, District Hospital Gandhi Nagar and Sarwal Hospital already cater to patients from Jammu city, neighbouring districts and distant regions. The seasonal arrival of additional employees and their families increases demand for outpatient services, medicines, diagnostic facilities, emergency care and hospital accommodation.

The rental housing market also experiences considerable pressure during these six months, with demand for residential properties increasing and monthly rents touching unprecedented levels. This creates further difficulties for ordinary residents, particularly those belonging to economically weaker sections.

A large section of the common people of Jammu is opposed to the revival of the Darbar Move, which also places an additional burden on the government exchequer. The decision raises questions about whether public policy is being guided by long-term administrative and developmental priorities or by the interests of a limited section of commercial stakeholders.

In this age of Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence, does it make any administrative sense to shift the entire civil secretariat's physical records, along with thousands of employees and their families, from Srinagar to Jammu and back again after six months? The government must also arrange accommodation and provide substantial allowances, including Special Move Travelling Allowance and Temporary Move Allowance, to employees during these seasonal relocations.

Ordinary residents of Jammu do not necessarily benefit from inflated rents, traffic congestion, overcrowded hospitals or the diversion of public funds towards a seasonal administrative exercise. Instead, they are left to bear many of its associated costs and inconveniences.

Jammu and Kashmir should not move backwards from the e-Office reforms introduced in 2021 to a system that depends on the physical relocation of administrative establishments. Both Jammu and Srinagar can function as permanent administrative centres, with digital files, e-signatures, video conferencing and online public services ensuring uninterrupted governance throughout the year. This is precisely the objective that the 2021 administrative reform sought to achieve.

The Darbar Move may have been meaningful and necessary in the nineteenth century, when geographical isolation and the absence of modern communication systems made seasonal administrative relocation unavoidable. However, in the twenty-first century, with advanced Information Technology, e-governance and Artificial Intelligence at our disposal, its revival appears to be an expensive, disruptive and largely unnecessary exercise.

A government that claims to represent the people must prioritise citizens' welfare, healthcare facilities, road infrastructure, tourism development and the responsible utilisation of taxpayers' money over a seasonal administrative spectacle and the commercial interests of a few.

The author is an Environmental Advocate, Social Activist and Policy Writer.