Srinagar : A Cabinet Minister in the Omar Abdullah-led Union Territory Government said that the Darbar Move—the historic biannual shifting of the Civil Secretariat between Srinagar and Jammu—will fully resume this year.
Speaking briefly over the phone with news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS), the Minister said that the decision was taken in the Cabinet, though he requested not to be quoted by name.
“It was decided in the cabinet that the full-fledged Darbar Move will take place this year,” he said.
This confirmation comes after Cabinet Minister Javed Ahmad Rana had earlier indicated in August that the government was planning to restore the tradition.
“This year we would restore the Darbar Move,” Rana had told KINS in August.
The Darbar Move was introduced in 1872 by Maharaja Gulab Singh. Under this practice, the Civil Secretariat and key government offices would operate from Srinagar during summer and Jammu during winter.
However, the practice was stopped in 2021 by the then Lieutenant Governor’s administration, which cited an annual saving of nearly Rs 200 crore to the exchequer as the reason for discontinuation.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has consistently maintained that his government would restore the tradition once back in power.
In December last year, Omar had said, “We assure you that the Darbar Move will be restored. Jammu holds its own importance, and we will not allow its uniqueness to diminish.”
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary has time and again also supported the move, saying it benefits the local economy of Jammu and creates jobs for many.(KINS)
