DSS welcomes decision to defer Durbar move

18/04/2021

JAMMU, Apr 17: Dogra Sadar Sabha (DSS) today welcomed the decision taken by the UT Govern-ment to defer Durbar Move and allow functioning of the Civil Secretariat at both Jammu & Srinagar. Disclo-sing this in a press conference, after holding a brief tele-conference with the core group, Th Gulchain Singh Charak President DSS conveyed whole hearted compliments and gratitude to the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha for this people friendly decision and other urgent steps to take the surge in Covid pandemic cases head on. The DSS members in one voice congratulated the people of both the regions of the Union Territory for the opportunity to have a feel of the much desired continuous governance throughout the year.
Charak pointed out that the outdated, about hundred and fifty years old practice resulted in unnecessary hardships to the people who face severe challenges for nearly seven months every year, during snow and severe cold conditions, in Kashmir and during scorching heat and shortage of water supply in Jammu. It also hinders effective monitoring of the developmental works for this period in both regions and does not benefit anyone except the senior government functionaries who enjoy the best of climatic conditions, but remain reluctant to visit the area where close governance is most needed in times of climatic hardships.
He further conveyed that DSS takes this opportunity to raise the popular demand of people and urge the Lieutenant Governor to make round the year functioning of the Secretariat in both the Capital Cities a permanent feature and bring the UT at par with modern times through developed information technology and advanced communication systems. He emphasised that Durbar move entails wasteful and unnecessary expenditure, running into hundreds of crores of rupees, on shifting personnel, files, office equipment, etc. and on hiring additional accommodation, besides maintenance of a huge infrastructure comprising offices and residential accommodation in Jammu as well as Srinagar which remains unoccupied for six months of the year.
Charak also demanded that the savings likely to accrue as a result of this progressive decision taken by the Government be utilized to meet immediate medical needs like short supply of oxygen, etc. to deal with the current rise in Covid cases in the Union Territory and to infuse more funds for expediting the conservation and reuse of the Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex, where the heritage structures situated on the Tawi river side of the Complex are in imminent danger and likely to suffer irreparable damage during the coming monsoons, unless immediate urgent measures are taken for stabilizing of the slopes supporting these structures.
Those who participated in the tele-meeting included Col.(Retd.) Karan Singh Jamwal, Prem Sagar Gupta, G A Khawaja, Brig. (Retd.) M. S. Jamwal, Col. (Retd.) V K Sahi VrC, Gha-mbir Dev Singh Charak, Ajay Khajuria, Amanat Ali Shah, Janak Khajuria, Chatter Singh, S.Kulbir Singh, S. Balwinder Singh, Madan Rangeela, Chhan-kar Singh, Rajinder Gupta and Dr. V S Sharma.

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