Darbar closes in Jammu, trucks with record move to Srinagar

In continuation with the pre-independence practice of 'Darbar Move', the offices including Civil Secretariat, Jammu and Kashmir Legislature and Raj Bhawan closed here and are scheduled to reopen in Srinagar on April 6.
The various offices including police headquarters and head-offices of Boards, Corporations and autonomous bodies closed yesterday, officials said.
The annual 'Darbar move', an age old practice, under which the state government functions six months each in Jammu and Srinagar.
It involves housing offices from May to October in Srinagar and the remaining six months in Jammu.
The tradition was started during Dogra rule in 1872 by Maharaja Ranbir Singh.

A convoy of trucks carrying important documents left for the Valley, whereas hundreds of trucks were parked in Civil Secretariat premises amid tight security for loading the records and other materials.

Buses will ferry government employees from Jammu to Srinagar during the next one week.
Advance parties of many departments have left for the the Valley to facilitate timely opening of offices.
The traffic department has also issued directions that there will be no traffic on the national highway from Srinagar to Jammu for few days in the wake of Darbar move, officials said.
Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party had staged protest demanding to stop bi-annual 'Darbar Move' to save huge amount being spent on the shifting process.