Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday left his official residence on foot for his office at the Civil Secretariat here, marking the resumption of the biannual ‘Darbar Move’ after a gap of four years.
As he walked through Residency Road and Raghunath Bazar, various trader associations, including Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, accorded him a grand welcome and lauded his decision to revive the age-old tradition that was halted in 2021.
The ‘Darbar Move’ involves shifting the Jammu and Kashmir government’s offices between Srinagar and Jammu with the changing seasons.
The Civil Secretariat and other move offices closed in Srinagar on October 30 and 31, and started functioning from the winter capital on Monday for the next six months.
The ‘Darbar Move’ was started by the Dogra rulers nearly 150 years ago. It was halted by LG Sinha in June 2021, citing the administration’s complete transition to e-office, which, he said, would save around Rs 200 crore annually.
The decision drew sharp criticism from various quarters, including Jammu’s business community, which termed the move a blow to trade and the traditional bond between the two regions. They had been pressing for the revival of the practice ever since.
On October 16, Abdullah fulfilled his election promise by reviving the ‘Darbar Move’, bringing relief to the business community here.
Abdullah, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and minister Javed Rana, left his official residence around 9 am and walked a few kilometres to reach the civil secretariat.
Traders turned up in large numbers. They garlanded the chief minister, showered flower petals and distributed sweets amid drumbeats throughout the journey.
The security detail of the chief minister had a tough time managing the surging and enthusiastic crowds as he walked to the secretariat.
Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Arun Gupta was among the first ones to greet the CM.