Traditional ‘Durbar Move’ sees Civil Secretariat shifting to Srinagar

JAMMU - Authorities have taken all precautionary arrangements for the smooth transfer of the civil secretariat in Kashmir from its winter capital Jammu to its summer capital Srinagar, as part of traditional ‘Durbar Move’ that commenced here on Sunday (May 02).

Over a century-old tradition of shifting of capital from Srinagar to Jammu and vice-versa is known as ‘Durbar Move’.

The Civil Secretariat in Jammu, described as the winter capital, closed on Friday (April 30) and will resume functioning from Srinagar on May 10 following the traditional practice of ‘Durbar Move.’

The practice of shifting the Civil Secretariat costs the exchequer over 100 million rupees and involves movement of truckloads of files between Jammu and Srinagar.

“Our convoy is going to Srinagar and taking all the records. We are coordinating with all the agencies, including traffic, paramilitary personnel, Central Police Reserve Police,” said Nazir Ahmed, a security inspector at Jammu and Kashmir Secretariat.

Approximately 5,000 employees of the civil secretariat will be moving from Jammu to Srinagar in a highly guarded convoy.

“For the safe passage we have already asked the police authorities to be alert. Along with the police we have security personnel escorting the vehicles,” added Nazir Ahmed.

Srinagar is 300 kilometres north of Jammu.

The State government’s Secretariat shifts every spring and autumn between the two capitals as per the changing weather patterns.

Srinagar in the Kashmir Valley in the western Himalayas experiences severe winter and a pleasant weather in summers, while Jammu city in the foothills records high temperatures during summer but is relatively warm in winters.

The practice of shifting of the Durbar (royal court) was started in 1882 by the then Maharaja Pratap Singh to meet the aspirations of the people living in far-flung areas of the State. By Tahir Nadeem Khan (ANI)