SRINAGAR, Oct 29: As part of over century old customary exercise that keeps adding to burden on the state exchequer, Jammu and Kashmir Civil Secretariat and Move offices closed here today and will open in winter capital Jammu in the second week of November.
The turbulent four-month period in Kashmir, which saw authorities clamping strict curfew in the valley to scuttle the voice of dissent emanating from the streets of Kashmir, functioning of civil secretariat and other government offices was greatly affected.
Not only the people, but the ministers and senior officers could not reach to the secretariat due to strict restriction and curfew imposed by the state government, thereby putting the economic development on complete stand still.
In the wake of violent protests and clashes between protestors and forces, most of the ministers remained absent from their offices.
Not a single minister could be seen in public during the most turbulent months of July and August. When situation in Kashmir continued to worsen with more civilian killings in police and CRPF firing, most of the ministers shifted their base either to Jammu or New Delhi. Even the media-savvy chief minister, Omar Abdullah, could hardly be seen on television or newspapers. Moreover, when the entire valley was reeling under an unprecedented political unrest, he preferred to spend time with his family in Gulmarg, besides traveling to New Delhi.
The separatists were holding the centre stage and the government functioning remained only for namesake. In the absence of functioning government institutions and regulations, the valley was virtually turned into killing field where police and paramilitary CRPF men were calling the shots on the battered streets of Kashmir. A horrific killing spree - starting from the killing of 17-year-old, Tufail Mattoo of Saidakadal on June 11 to the killings of four civilians at Palhalan on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Highway on September 13 - saw 111 civilians killed in police and CRPF action. Furthermore, there are over 150 injured in police firing being treated in various hospitals across the valley.
It was only in late September that things started to change a bit in favour of the coalition government, headed by the beleaguered chief minister.
“Over four months were lost due to strikes and curfews. Most of the projects, which were scheduled to be completed in these months, could not be completed due to strikes,” said a senior government official. “Funds could not be spent on schemes as per schedule.”
Pertinently, addressing a function after laying foundation of Rs 24-crore Udyog Bhawan at Bemina, the chief minister while expressing his deep sorrow and anguish had said:
“We could not spend funds on the schemes as per schedule, the huge macamadisation programme in Srinagar city and towns received set back. Progress on the infrastructure development in the sectors of health, education, roads, water supply, power, industry etc. got hampered.”
He had said that the central government had approved Annual Plan of Rs 6,500 crore for the state, “unfortunately a situation was created which hindered the progress and put obstacles in the way of implementing schemes”.
However, despite reports that the chief minister was under pressure from leaders of Congress and National Conference (NC) not to make the annual Darbar move this year till the situation returned to normal in the valley, the Darbar move offices closed here on Friday and would re-open in Jammu on November 8.
According to official spokesperson, the government offices including those in the J&K Civil Secretariat, observing five-day week, closed at Srinagar as per the notification issued by General Administration Department (GAD).
“The state level offices, which observe six-day week, will close on Saturday before shifting to Jammu,” he said.
Significantly, the Annual Darbar Move costs the state exchequer a whopping Rs 20 crore every year for facilitating the movement of nearly 10,000 employees from Srinagar to Jammu at the onset of winter and back to Srinagar ahead of summer.
Meanwhile, to ensure trouble-free passage of Darbar move convoy, the state police has ordered one-way traffic on Srinagar-Jammu highway on October 30 and 31 and again and on November 6 and 7.
"There’ll be one-way traffic from Srinagar to Jammu on October 30 and 31st for smooth passage of the Darbar move convoys from the summer capital," SSP Traffic National Highway, Vijay Kumar was quoted by PTI as saying.
He also said that not any traffic would be allowed from Jammu to Srinagar on these days “to allow free movement of the convoy”.
He sought public cooperation with the traffic police for the smooth passage of the convoy.
According to reports, hundreds of trucks carrying office files, furniture, computers, and other office records and movable items of dozens of offices including the civil secretariat, police headquarter, JK Assembly and Raj Bhawan would drove towards Jammu from Srinagar.
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