In a major decision on the first year of his government, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today brought back the over 150 years old Durbar Move tradition introduced by the Dogra rulers and discontinued by the Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha in 2021.
With resumption of the tradition, government offices will this winter move to Jammu and to Srinagar in summers.
Addressing a press conference here to mark completion of one year of the NC government, Omar Abdullah said that the cabinet gave nod for the revival of the century-old practice.
“The file was sent to the Lieutenant Governor and has been approved. The government is now reviving the practice of full-fledged Durbar Move,” he said.
Lambasting the BJP, Omar said that the BJP played main role in dismantling the tradition initiated by the Dogra rulers. However, the people in Jammu blessed the BJP by giving them 28 seats in the legislative assembly.
“The practice of Durbar Move was stopped by the BJP that claims to be the well wisher of the people of Jammu and is being restored by us who were mocked by them as an anti-Jammu party. The people of Jammu region were marginalised by the BJP”, Omar said.
Traders of Jammu had also urged Omar to restore the ‘Durbar Move’ as its discontinuance had badly hit their trade.
Omar said his government was taking steps to restore the economy of the Jammu region that was badly hit by the decisions of the BJP.
“I can’t forcibly stop the Vaishnodevi pilgrims in Jammu, but the government is planning to create pilgrimage circuits to attract the pilgrims to spend a few days beyond offering prayers at the Vaishnodevi shrine”, he said.