The Civil Secretariat, the seat of Jammu and Kashmirgovernment, closed here today to reopen in winter capital Jammuon November 6 as part of the bi-annual 'Darbar Move', a practicestarted by Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1872.
"Civil Secretariat and other 'Darbar Move' offices observing five-day week closed inSrinagar 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 'Darbar Move' offices function inSrinagar for six months of summer and in Jammu for the remaining sixmonths of the year.
The practice was started by Maharaja Gulab Singh 145 years ago toescape the extreme heat of Jammu during summers and biting cold ofwinters in Srinagar.
The practice was continued by elected governmentspost- Independence.
The state government spends crores of rupees every year to shiftvoluminous records between the two capital cities twice a year, besides paying similar amount as allowance for the several thousand 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 redressal to their problems round the yearwhile saving substantial amount of the public money.
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