Jammu: Though the LG administration had done away with Darbar Move, shifting the Capital to Jammu during winters, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today started working from the Civil Secretariat Jammu on Monday, indicating that the past practice is back
The deputy chief minister, cabinet ministers, chief secretary, administrative secretaries, and heads of departments also resumed their work from Jammu, officials said.
According to a General Administration Department order dated October 23, only the administrative secretaries and the top department heads will shift to Jammu from Srinagar under a curtailed ‘Darbar move’.
The Civil Secretariat in Srinagar will also remain functional, as the order stated.
The annual move, a long-standing tradition in Jammu and Kashmir, was halted during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The practice involved shifting the government from Srinagar to Jammu from October to May due to harsh cold conditions in the valley.
Abdullah is the first Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir since its reorganisation as a Union Territory.
He earlier served as a J&K chief minister from 2009 to 2014, when it was still a full-fledged state.
The Chief Minister also shared glimpses of his road trip from Srinagar to attend his office in the civil secretariat here as his flight to the winter capital got cancelled due to poor visibility at the Jammu airport yesterday.
Eleven flights were cancelled on Sunday due to low visibility and another was called off due to technical reasons, airport officials said here.
“Poor visibility in Jammu meant a sudden, last minute, road trip. Nothing flew into or out from Jammu yesterday (Sunday) so I had to saddle up and take the road to the winter capital,” Abdullah said in a post on X.
He also shared three videos of his cavalcade moving on Sunday from the summer capital Srinagar towards Jammu — a drive that usually takes around five hours.
Airport officials, however, said flight operations resumed on Monday morning as per schedule.
In another post, Abdullah said, “Looking at the visibility from the balcony of the official residence I don’t think flights will be operating any time soon today either. You can barely see the sun in the haze.”
This is the chief minister’s first visit to the Jammu civil secretariat after assuming charge on October 16.
He was accorded a warm welcome by the employees as he reached the seat of the government at 10 am.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was warmly greeted by his Council of Ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary and cabinet members Sakeena Masood Itoo, Javed Ahmad Rana, Javid Ahmad Dar, and Satish Sharma, an official press release said.
It said the Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta and other senior officials, and staff of the Civil Secretariat were also present to receive him.
In a gesture of camaraderie, the Chief Minister visited the chambers of his ministers to formally welcome them, reflecting his commitment to fostering a collaborative working environment.
During his visit, the Chief Minister also inspected the ongoing construction of the new Assembly Complex.
He toured the complex, where officials from the Public Works Department (PWD) Roads & Buildings (R&B) Division provided a detailed briefing on the project’s various stages, timeline and next steps.
CM calls for sustainable, high value tourism policy in J&K
Recognising the role of tourism as the “backbone of Jammu and Kashmir’s economy”, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday called for a more sustainable and visitor-focused approach in the UTs tourism sector.
He highlighted the importance of shifting tourism efforts from “high volume” to “high value”, emphasising quality over quantity.
According to an official press release, Abdullah was speaking at a high-level meeting which was convened to review the functioning of the Tourism Department at the civil secretariat here.
Asking the department to chart the way forward for a more sustainable and visitor-focused approach, the chief minister highlighted the potential of tourism to create substantial employment opportunities for youth.
“There is a need to treat tourism as a structured, long-term endeavour, rather than an ad-hoc activity, by adopting a tourist-centric perspective. We need to enhance the tourist experience, so visitors are more likely to revisit and recommend J&K as a destination,” it said.
The meeting discussed additional plans for promoting adventure activities like skiing and river rafting besides reviewing the progress on central government schemes such as Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) and ‘Swadesh Darshan’.
Abdullah expressed dissatisfaction over the poor condition of the waste dumping site at Gulmarg and exhorted the concerned officials to improve the waste management facilities in the famous ski resort on priority.
The chief minister proposed sustainable development measures for Gulmarg and called for revitalizing the cable car known as ‘Gondola’ service.
He took a serious view of mismanagement in Gondola service ticketing which has irked the tourists and has led to black marketing of tickets.
He directed JK Cable Car Corporation to streamline the ticketing process with efficiency, leveraging the technology and making tickets easily available to visitors.
For skiing development, he recommended hiring reputed consultants and experts for proper alignment of skiing drag lifts and emphasized that all plans should consider the impacts of climate change.
“Sonamarg has the potential to emerge as a Skiing destination given the abundance of snow there and it needs our attention,” he said, also underlining the need for taking up green field tourism development projects.
The chief minister called for focused efforts in garbage disposal and waste management through sustained campaigns and stakeholder awareness.
He also noted the urgent need for additional wayside amenities and certified clean toilet facilities along major tourist routes and at key destinations to elevate visitor satisfaction.
“We must build environmentally conscious infrastructure that respects J&K’s unique heritage and architecture,” he added.
He also urged regulated infrastructure growth in newly proposed destinations and developing tourist spots to ensure sustainable development.
The chief minister stressed the need for synergized efforts with the local community, advocating for all tourism projects to consider heritage preservation and environmental sustainability.
To further improve the tourist experience, the Chief Minister favoured creation of a feedback portal directly linked to his office, enabling tourists to share their experiences and suggestions.
He emphasised routine inspections of homestay facilities to maintain cleanliness and essential infrastructure standards, ensuring a welcoming environment for all visitors.
