Darbar move: J&K govt offices open in Srinagar today

CM Omar Abdullah inspected the traditional guard of honour inside the Civil Secretariat premises to mark the opening of the offices

Jammu and Kashmir government today started functioning from here after shifting from winter capital Jammu as part of pre-independence biannual Darbar Move practice.

Raj Bhavan, Civil Secretariat and other offices, which had closed in Jammu on April 25, opened here as per the darbar move, a century-old practice under which government functions six month each in the two capitals.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah inspected the traditional guard of honour inside the Civil Secretariat premises to mark the opening of the offices, officials said.

However, this time there was no customary interaction of the chief minister with the journalists due to model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha elections being in force. The media persons were not allowed to enter the Civil Secretariat premises.

The government will function in the summer capital till late October and then move to Jammu, the winter capital of the state, in the first week of November.

Authorities have made all necessary arrangements including security to ensure smooth functioning of the offices in the Kashmir Valley, which witnessed a spurt in militant activities including killing of political workers during the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.