Secretariat closes in Srinagar, to open in Jammu on Nov 6

The Civil Secretariat closed here today to reopen in Jammu, the winter capital, on November 6 as part of the bi-annual ‘Durbar Move’.
“The Civil Secretariat and other Durbar Move offices that observe five-day week closed in Srinagar today and will now reopen at Jammu on November 6,” an official spokesman said.
The offices observing six-day week will close tomorrow, he said.
The Civil Secretariat and other Durbar Move offices function in Srinagar for six months of summer and in Jammu, for the remaining six months of the year.
The practice was started by Maharaja Gulab Singh 145 years ago to escape the extreme heat of Jammu during summer and the biting cold of winter in Srinagar. The practice was continued by elected governments post-Indepe dence.
The state government spends crores of rupees every year to shift records between the two capital cities twice a year, besides paying a similar amount as allowance for thousands of employees who shift base with the government.
There have been demands from various quarters to abolish the practice and set up permanent Civil Secretariats in Jammu and Srinagar cities so that people can get their problems redressed throughout the year.