The Durbar Move was restored in Jammu on Monday after four years break.
The biannual Durbar Move, to be followed now onwards, marks the formal opening of offices in the winter capital.
The Chief Minister Omar Abdullah arrived at Shaheedi Chowk, Jammu at 9:15 am, where he was warmly received and felicitated by the Jammu Chamber of Commerce, Residency Road and Rajinder Bazar Associations.
Thereafter, the Chief Minister walked towards Raghunath Bazar Chowk via Residency Road, greeting traders and citizens who lined the route to extend greetings and best wishes on his arrival.
At Raghunath Bazar Chowk, Omar was felicitated by the Raghunath Bazar Association before proceeding on foot towards City Chowk, where he was received by members of the City Chowk Bazar and Kanak Mandi Bazar Associations.
The Durbar move was suspended by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha in 2021.
Later, the Chief Minister was received at the Civil Secretariat, where he was presented with a Guard of Honour, marking the opening of offices as part of the traditional Durbar Move.
The CM inspected the ceremonial parade and interacted with officers and staff on the occasion.
Following the ceremonial reception, Omar chaired a high-level meeting with the Council of Ministers and Administrative Secretaries to get an update on the functioning of various departments and assess the administrative preparedness following the move.
Addressing the meeting, the CM described the restoration of the Darbar in Jammu after a gap of four years as “a welcome experience” that has infused a wave of enthusiasm and happiness across the city and its adjoining areas.
He, however, underlined the challenges ahead, noting that the government is now at a crucial juncture where “actual ground delivery is expected.”
“All planning and discussion phases have been completed. It is now time to translate the decisions into tangible outcomes on the ground,” Omar emphasised.
The Chief Minister directed all departments to focus on the timely implementation of projects already sanctioned and approved, ensuring visible progress at the grassroots level.
Acknowledging the financial constraints being faced, Omar assured that the matter of limited resources “will be appropriately addressed.”
He called for a balanced approach, urging officers to “ensure effective delivery while simultaneously curbing unnecessary expenditure.”
Speaking to reporters, CM said the discontinuation of the Durbar Move had delivered a major setback to Jammu.
“We had promised people that we would restore the Darbar Move. Today, the Darbar Move has been restored. I hope this will give a significant boost to the economy of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Omar said the decision to stop the practice earlier was taken purely on financial grounds, ignoring its emotional and symbolic value.
“Not everything should be measured in monetary terms. Some things hold emotional significance. The Durbar Move connected Srinagar and Jammu. By ending it, a blow was dealt to the unity of Jammu and Kashmir, which we have now tried to rectify,” he said.
Omar said the enthusiastic welcome the government received in Jammu today was proof of the public sentiment attached to the decision.
“You must have seen today — the love, affection and welcome we received. It took us an hour to reach because of the overwhelming response. Jammu had suffered when the Darbar Move was discontinued, and traders had repeatedly raised concerns,” he said.
He asserted that the move will not only help the business community but also strengthen emotional and cultural ties between both regions. “Sometimes some people create a distance between Jammu and Srinagar for political gains. We want to bridge that distance,” he added.