Jammu: Traders in Jammu have expressed anger over the Jammu and Kashmir administration’s move to abandon the 149-year-old practice of Darbar Move, saying the move continues to affect their economy negatively.
Speaking to reporters, traders accused the BJP-led government of India and the JK administration of ruining Jammu’s economy. Seeking stoppage of the order, the traders said that if authorities want Jammu to prosper economically then the ‘unnecessary order must be abolished’.
“BJP has ruined Jammu. BJP politicians only know how to fill their pockets and make money out of our grief,” said one of the traders as he blames BJP for ‘betraying’ them on the pretext of the economy.
“Business is zero, Govt claims 400 crores were saved, but where has that money gone, we don’t see any any development here,” claimed another trader.
The traders said that BJP is not aware of the ‘brotherhood’ between the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“They don’t know how many sacrifices have been given for the land of JK,” said another trader who rues the government’s other decision to link direct trains to Katra and Banihal which further affects the Jammu business.
Jammu’s market economy is dependent on Kashmiris and tourists. Tourists have been given direct trains and Kashmiris are not coming due to the stoppage of Darbar Move.
“The move has proved detrimental for Jammu economy which BJP doesn’t understand,” one trader said.
Pertinently, in June 2021, the 149-year-old tradition Darbar Move came to an end. The Darbar Move was a bi-annual practice in which the government functions for six months each in the two capitals of Srinagar and Jammu.
Around 9,000 employees working in civil secretariats, with headquarters in Jammu and Srinagar, would move along with files twice every year.
As winter sets in Srinagar, government offices would shut down in the final week of October and move to Jammu. In Summer, these offices would once again shut in the last week of April and return to operations in Srinagar.
