Jammu, Nov 3: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday walked from his official residence to the Civil Secretariat in Jammu, marking the formal resumption of the biannual ‘Darbar Move’—a 150-year-old tradition revived after a four-year gap.
As Abdullah made his way through Residency Road and Raghunath Bazar, traders and residents lined the streets, showering flower petals, garlanding him, and distributing sweets. The Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) and other associations hailed the chief minister’s decision to bring back the age-old practice, suspended in 2021.
The ‘Darbar Move’, which involves shifting government offices between Srinagar (summer capital) and Jammu (winter capital) with the seasons, had been halted by then-LG Manoj Sinha citing full transition to e-office operations and cost savings of around ₹200 crore annually. The decision, however, drew sharp criticism, particularly from Jammu’s business community, which argued that it weakened economic and regional ties.
Fulfilling his election promise, Abdullah announced the revival of the practice on October 16, a move widely welcomed across Jammu. He was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and Minister Javed Rana during the symbolic walk to office around 9 a.m.
Amid drumbeats and cheering crowds, the chief minister’s security personnel struggled to manage the enthusiastic public. JCCI President Arun Gupta was among the first to greet him at the secretariat.
The Civil Secretariat and other “move offices” had closed in Srinagar on October 30–31 and began functioning in Jammu from Monday for the next six months, reviving a legacy that dates back to the Dogra rulers nearly a century and a half ago. (Agencies)
