Jammu and Kashmir administration cancels government accommodation for ‘darbar move’ employees

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Srinagar: In a surprise move, the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Wednesday (June 30) cancelled the residential accommodation of "darbar move" employees in Jammu and Srinagar.

The order stated that all the employees will have to vacate their accommodation within three weeks.

"Cancellation of allotment of residential accommodation of officers/officials at Srinagar as indicated at Annexure-A to this order who are stationed at Jammu, and cancellation of allotment of residential accommodation of officers/officials at Jammu as per Annexure-B to this order who are stationed at Srinagar," read the government order.

Earlier this month, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had said that the Jammu and Kashmir administration has completely transitioned to e-office, thereby ending the practice of the biannual ''darbar move''.

The government had also said that with this move, both Jammu and Srinagar secretariat will work for all 12 months. It also mentioned that the government will save on millions of rupees due to this decision.

The practice of ‘darbar move’ was started by the Maharaja of Kashmir, Gulab Singh, in 1872. The administration would work from Jammu during the six months of winter while the same would be shifted to Srinagar during the summers.

In practice, all the offices including the Raj Bhawan, the Civil Secretariat, and many other departments used to shift every six months.