Jammu greets CM Omar Abdullah as Darbar reopens after 4 yrs

J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was greeted with loud cheers as he stepped out of his vehicle and walked through Jammu’s iconic Raghunath Bazaar and adjoining markets on the first day of the reopening of Darbar in the winter capital after a gap of four years.

The biannual Darbar Move that was suspended in 2021 marks the formal opening of offices in Jammu. Omar arrived at Shaheedi Chowk around 9.15 am where he was received and felicitated by the Jammu Chamber of Commerce and the Residency Road and Rajinder Bazaar associations.

Thereafter, the CM, along with Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary, walked towards Raghunath Bazaar Chowk via Residency Road, meeting traders and residents, who lined the route to extend greetings on his arrival.

At Raghunath Bazaar Chowk, Omar was felicitated by the Raghunath Bazaar Association before proceeding on foot towards City Chowk, where he was received by members of the City Chowk Bazaar and Kanak Mandi Bazaar associations.

The president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Jammu, Arun Gupta, also accompanied the CM.

Later, he was received at the Civil Secretariat, where he was presented with a guard of honour, marking the opening of offices as part of the Darbar Move. The CM inspected the ceremonial parade and interacted with officers and staff on the occasion.

Talking to the media at the Civil Secretariat, Omar said the Darbar Move was suspended for several years, but should not have been stopped on the basis of expenditure as it created economic opportunities for the people of Jammu.

“The Darbar Move also plays an important role in the unity of J&K because during the six months of the summer season, people from Jammu come to Srinagar and for the same period, people from Kashmir come to Jammu. This movement of people is beneficial for the entire J&K,” said Omar.

He said restoring the Darbar Move was a “correction” carried out by his government. “We will continue to work for J&K. We have completed one year in office and four years are still remaining. We will fulfil other promises in the coming time,” said the CM.

Following the ceremonial reception, the CM 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.

The CM underlined the challenges ahead, noting that the government was 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 said.

The CM 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 said the matter of limited resources would be addressed. He called for a balanced approach, urging officers to “ensure effective delivery while simultaneously curbing unnecessary expenditure”.