Beginning today, J&K Civil Secretariat to operate from Jammu for winter season

Beginning Monday, the Civil Secretariat of Jammu and Kashmir will operate from Jammu for the entire winter season. The Administrative Secretaries and Heads of Departments have shifted to Jammu and will start operating from here.

While this is not the ‘Darbar move’ which was promised by the National Conference (NC) before the Assembly elections, the Chief Minister and Ministers will also operate from Jammu. However, they will move to other parts of the UT as per requirement. Lt Governor Manoj Sinha is already camping in Jammu.

Not the ‘Darbar move’

• Administrative secretaries and heads of departments have shifted to Jammu and will start operating from here.
• While this is not the ‘Darbar move’, which was promised by the National Conference (NC) before the Assembly elections, the Chief Minister and Ministers will also operate from Jammu.

In an order on October 23, the General Administrative Department (GAD) had stated that the Administrative Secretaries and the UT level Heads of Departments shall ensure their availability at the Civil Secretariat, Jammu, with effect from November 11. “However, they will attend the Civil Secretariat, Srinagar, as per functional requirement.

“The arrangements with regard to the availability of staff of administrative departments of Civil Secretariat shall be determined by the respective department,” the order stated.

The Estates Department was also asked to provide accommodation to the officers and other officials of the departments.

Earlier, entire departments along with officials and clerical staff used to shift biannually to Jammu and Srinagar during winter and summer season, respectively, which also cost the erstwhile state’s exchequer a hefty amount. To do away with this practice, the files were digitised in 2021 and the practice of Darbar Move was suspended.

The bi-annual Darbar Move was started during the rule of Maharaja Ranbir Singh in 1872 to escape from the bone chilling winters of Kashmir and hot and humid climate of Jammu.

However, after the suspension of the tradition, the business community of Jammu rued that they were not getting enough customers. The trading community also asked the government to restart the practice. The NC, Apni Party and some other political parties had promised that if voted to power they will resume the Darbar Move.