J&K: Rs 127 cr spent on accommodating ‘Darbar Move’ staff

at 6:14 pm

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): A whopping amount of Rs 127 crore was spent on the accommodation of ‘Darbar Move’ employees in the past two years alone, according to an affidavit submitted by the Jammu and Kashmir government before the High Court of Union Territory.

‘Darbar Move’ is an age-old practice started by the Dogra Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1872, under which the seat of power, involving almost all departments, shifts to Jammu for six months during winter and remains stationed in Kashmir for six months of summer.

The affidavit has been submitted yesterday by the J&K’s Estate’s Department which is responsible for providing accommodation to the Civil Secretariat employees whenever there is ‘Darbar Move’.

As per the affidavit, a copy of which is with the NVI, the Estates Department has disclosed that Rs 127 crore was spent for providing accommodation to the Darbar Move employees during 2018-19 and 2019-20.

“Rs 41.32 crore and Rs 23.57 crore were spent for providing accommodation to employees in Srinagar and Jammu, respectively, during 2018-19,” states the affidavit, submitted before the High Court.

“In 2019-20, Rs 41.61 crore were spent for providing accommodation to the employees in Srinagar and Rs 20.53 crore in Jammu respectively,” it stated.

The expenditure incurred by the Estates Department includes the hiring of private hotels, private houses and JK Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC) huts, transportation charges, maintenance charges and hiring of seasonal laborers.

The Estates Department has also revealed that 307 private houses were hired in Srinagar and 151 in Jammu during 2018-19. In 2019-20, 80 private houses were hired in Srinagar and 69 in Jammu.

The details were submitted by the Estates department on the directions of the High Court. The court had sought details of expenditure incurred on accommodation of Darbar Move employees in its previous hearing.

The High Court had sought details of expenditure on a plea seeking postponement of Darbar Move this time from Jammu to Srinagar in view of the outbreak of deadly Covid-19 pandemic.