J&K civil secretariat offices reopen in Srinagar after ‘Darbar Move’

Srinagar, May 4 (IANS) All the top offices of the Jammu and Kashmir government reopened in Srinagar city after six months working in the winter capital, Jammu.

Following the 150-year-old practice of shuttling all the top government offices between Jammu and Srinagar, the office of the chief minister, his cabinet colleagues, and senior bureaucrats operate from Jammu during winter and from Srinagar during the summer months.

The practice had been discontinued during the central rule in the union territory in the absence of an elected government, but was restored by the elected government headed by Omar Abdullah.

The practice was restored as an integrative measure between the two divisions of the union territory to make governance accessible and has been widely welcomed by the people.

Marking the six-monthly tradition of the annual Darbar Move, the Civil Secretariat resumed functioning in Srinagar.

All government offices, including the office of the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, will function from the summer capital Srinagar from Monday. CM Omar Abdullah was given a ceremonial guard of honour on his arrival at the civil secretariat this morning.

"The Darbar Move, which was resumed last year at Jammu, marks a renewed continuity of governance in Jammu and Kashmir, with the full Secretariat shifting to the summer capital after several years," wrote the CMO on its X handle.

The Secretariat in Jammu had concluded its six-month-long winter session last week, after which the departments began relocation to Srinagar. Preparatory work, including road repairs and infrastructure readiness, was carried out in advance to facilitate smooth functioning.

According to earlier official orders issued by the General Administration Department, five-day offices in Jammu closed on April 30, while six-day offices ceased functioning on May 2. Around 38 departments have fully moved to Srinagar, while several others are operating on a camp basis with limited staff strength.

The working hours in Srinagar have been fixed from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for Secretariat departments and from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for other offices. The summer secretariat camp office will continue to function in Jammu as well.

--IANS

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