The civil secretariat in Srinagar buzzed with action on Monday as the biannual ‘darbar move’ officially resumed with chief minister Omar Abdullah taking the salute at the ceremonial guard of honour by a contingent of the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
The reopening of offices in the summer capital marks the formal return of a tradition that had remained suspended since 2021.
Accompanied by his cabinet colleagues and senior bureaucrats, the chief minister interacted with employees who relocated from the winter capital, Jammu.
The resumption is a significant political victory for the Abdullah-led government, which made reviving the darbar move a key point of the National Conference’s 2024 election manifesto.
Speaking to reporters at the secretariat, the chief minister said: “The darbar move is more than just a shifting of files; it is a symbol of our unity and bridge between the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Today, we have restored a tradition that respects the unique identity and the shared heritage of both regions.”
The 150-year-old practice, initiated in 1872 by Maharaja Ranbir Singh to escape seasonal extremes, was halted in June 2021 by the administration of lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha. Citing the transition to a digital e-office system, the LG’s office argued that physically shifting thousands of files was an unnecessary drain on resources, estimating an annual saving of ₹200 crore.
While the current restoration includes modern concessions—such as a 33% staff cap and a reliance on digital files—the physical presence of the cabinet in Srinagar signals the return of a governance model that many in the Union Territory view as essential for regional integration.
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