In a signal that the new elected government is taking steps to restore Darbar Move, the General Administration Department has mandated that senior officers be present at the Civil Secretariat in Jammu starting November 11, 2024. While the order does not explicitly mention the revival of the Durbar Move—a practice scrapped after the abrogation of Article 370 in October 2019—it mentions that the purpose is to facilitate smooth official business in the Union Territory. Administrative Secretaries and heads of departments have been ordered to ensure their presence in Jammu, though they may travel to Srinagar as needed.
That said, one can’t see a need for restoration of the Move in a day and age where advancements in communication technology have erased geographical barriers. The e-governance, an offshoot of this technology, has further made the need for the bureaucrats to work from different geographical locations redundant. This is why the Lieutenant Governor’s administration had rightly done away with the practice without in any way impacting the efficiency of the governance.
Truth is that now the Move represents little more than a symbolic tradition; it serves as a privilege and a luxury for the ruling elite and their administrative subordinates, looking to escape the bitter winter of the Valley. In stark contrast, the ordinary population in the Valley is left behind to endure a bleak and challenging existence in winter, living in conditions that are only slightly bette.
