J&K Government restoring ‘Darbar Move’ this year: Minister Javed Rana

STC NEWS DESK
SRINAGAR, AUGUST 23 (STC): Jammu and Kashmir government is restoring the historic Darbar Move tradition this year, said cabinet minister Javed Ahmad Rana today.
“This year we would restore the Darbar Move,” Rana told media.
The Darbar Move, introduced by Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1872, was a biannual practice under which the Civil Secretariat and other offices functioned in Srinagar during summer and in Jammu during winter.
The practice was scrapped in 2021 by the Lieutenant Governor, citing an annual saving of around Rs.200 crore for the exchequer.
However, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has consistently pledged to restore the tradition.
“We assure you that the Darbar Move will be restored. Jammu holds its own importance, and we will not allow its uniqueness to diminish,” the CM had stated last year.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary had also backed the move, noting its impact on Jammu’s economy.
“The Darbar Move supported jobs and livelihoods by generating business for hotels, transport, and local industries. While government jobs alone could not meet everyone’s employment needs, this tradition created alternative opportunities,” he had said.
He had further emphasized that the practice was originally introduced by the Dogra Maharajas to maintain economic balance between the Jammu and Kashmir regions.
(Straight Talk Communications)