The Jammu and Kashmir government today started functioning from here as the Civil Secretariat re-opened in the winter capital after six months.
The bi-annual practice of Darbar Move is a century old practice under which the government functions six months each in the two capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar.
The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed took the guard of honour in the premises of the Civil Secretariat in the morning where all the senior cabinet ministers and senior officers of the state administration were also present.
The Secretariat and other offices which are the part of the Darbar Move re-opened in Jammu for winter season 2015-16 and started functioning from today.
As a part of bi-annual Darbar Move, the Civil Secretariat, the seat of Jammu and Kashmir government, along with other offices closed in Srinagar on October 30.
The 141 years old practice was started by the Dogra Maharaja of the erstwhile princly state of Jammu and Kashmir Ranbir Singh in 1872 to escape the extreme weather conditions in Jammu during summers and in Srinagar during winters.
The practice continued after independence also so that people from both Jammu region and Kashmir valley have equal access to seat of power throughout the year.
Unprecedented security arrangements were made in and around the Civil Secretariat premises so that no untoward incident takes place.
A large contingent of police force was deployed outside the Civil Secretariat to foil the march towards the Secretariat organised by the opposition Congress party.
The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary B R Sharma along with several senior officials of the state government and senior police officials had yesterday taken stock of the arrangements made for the opening of offices in the winter capital.
