Jammu and Kashmir to undertake Darbar move from Oct.29

JAMMU - The Jammu and Kashmir Government’s unique tradition of shifting its administrative offices to Jammu during winters and to Srinagar in the summers, will again carry this interesting biannual exercise on October 29 and 30.

This giant exercise of shifting the Civil Secretariat is described as the ‘Darbar Move’.

The shift to Jammu is taking place after six months and offices will function from there till March 2011.

A General Administration Department order said this week that all state government offices in Srinagar observing a five-day week would shut down on October 29, while those that were open for six days in a week, would close on October 30, Early Times reported.

The order also directed offices to carry only 33 percent of their staff strength of staff, or ten officials whichever is the minimum.

All state government departments have been asked to send their advance parties to Jammu by October 25, consisting of one gazetted Officer and four or five non-gazetted employees, who will receive the records in the city on arrival.

The departments have been asked to ensure that all boxes are properly locked and their keys sent along with the advance parties in time.

The Superintendent of Police (Security), Civil Secretariat, will furnish a list of defaulting departments in this regard to the General Administration Department.

The Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC) has been asked to make available a sufficient number of buses in good condition for transportation of Jammu-based employees on Oct. 30 and 31 and Kashmir-based employees on November 6 and 7.

It further states that the booking of buses shall be for the destination of the employees wherever feasible. Tickets shall be issued by SRTC in advance i.e. from November 20, 2010 both from Civil Secretariat as well as from the main booking counters of SRTC.

The SRTC has also been asked to make available trucks for shifting the records from Srinagar to Jammu.

The trucks shall be requisitioned by the departments from JKSRTC and the departments shall draw advance for meeting carriage and package charges.

The trucks shall be allowed to enter the Secretariat premises in Srinagar after 5.00 P.M on October 29, 2010.

Loading of trucks shall commence on October 30, 2010. Loading of records in the offices located outside the Secretariat premises, observing six days week, shall take place after working hours on October 30, 2010.

The loaded trucks will leave for Jammu on November 1 in a convoy.

The state government orders states that JKSRTC will also ensure that one crane, two empty buses and two empty trucks accompany the convoy on the respective days so that the employees do not face inconvenience due to any breakdown of buses or trucks on the way.

The mobile workshop shall also accompany the convoy.

Meanwhile, the State Health Department has been asked to keep available medical aid facilities enroute at various places including Qazigund, Banihal, Ramsu, Ramban, Patnitap, Kud, Udhampur and Jajarkotli, on the days when the employees travel from Srinagar to Jammu.

The Senior Superintendent of Police for Security in Srinagar will supervise the packing and loading of records of the officials located outside the Secretariat from security point of view. He will also issue clearance certificates to the drivers who, in turn, will show it to the Superintendent of Police (Security) Civil Secretariat to allow them to be included in the convoy.

The latter will ensure the entrance of trucks/records in the Civil Secretariat, Jammu/Srinagar after proper scrutiny.

The police shall escort the ‘employees’ and the ‘records convoy’ all along the route up to their respective destinations.

They will also make sure that the convoy is given precedence in crossing the Jawahar Tunnel. The Director General of Police, Jammu and Kashmir will issue necessary guidelines to the field agencies accordingly.

It has been ordered that no moving employee shall occupy any government/E.P/Municipal residential accommodation except under proper allotment order.

Moreover, the employees who have been asked to move to Jammu, will be allowed to retain their government accommodation in Srinagar for bonafide use of their families under intimation to the Estates Department on applicable terms and conditions.

Moving employees shall surrender theri Srinagar ration cards to the Director of the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department, Srinagar. They will be given a surrender certificate to facilitate the issue of ration cards in Jammu.

The employees, who desire to move without their families, will be allowed to retain their Srinagar ration cards for the winter season.

A Special Move travelling allowance (T.A) shall be paid at a uniform rate of Rs. 6000/-per employee. This shall be drawn and disbursed in advance.

Special move T.A shall not, however, be payable to such of the employees who does not move within the prescribed time.

Advance pay is also authorized in terms of Rule 14.26 of the J and K Financial code (vol-1) in favour of such of the non-gazetted moving employees, who may apply for the same which shall be recoverable in installments as per rules.

The salary for the month of October, 2010 in respect of all the employees working in moving offices shall be drawn on 25th of October, 2010.

It has been directed that no leave shall be admissible in combination/continuation of move days except in very exceptional circumstances.

The concerned administrative secretaries shall sanction leave whatever due to the employees on very exceptional circumstances.

It has been also ordered that all the Administrative Departments shall detach the staff if any, attached by them from subordinate offices of Kashmir division.

The office timing on the reopening of the offices at Jammu shall be 9.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in respect of Civil Secretariat and heads of department, located within the Civil Secretariat premises and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in respect of all moving Departments located outside the Civil Secretariat and observing six days a week. (ANI)