Srinagar, May 4: After a four-year gap, the annual Darbar Move resumed in Srinagar on Monday, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah inspecting a ceremonial guard of honour amid tight security.
The Civil Secretariat and other government offices reopened in Srinagar for the summer season after operating from Jammu during the winter months. Officials said the offices were closed in Jammu on April 30 as part of the transition.
Authorities said adequate security arrangements were put in place to ensure smooth functioning during the reopening.
The Darbar Move, a nearly 150-year-old practice of shifting the seat of governance between Jammu and Srinagar, had remained suspended for the past four years. It was initiated in 1872 by Maharaja Gulab Singh to avoid extreme weather conditions in the two capitals and continued after Independence as a governance practice. The tradition was suspended in 2021 under the Lieutenant Governor’s administration and has now been restored in 2025 under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, a year after he assumed office.
Under the new arrangement, offices will operate with limited staff, capped at 33 percent or a maximum of 10 employees per office. Employees relocating to Srinagar will also receive a special allowance of ₹25,000, officials said.
