Jammu and Kashmir govt defers biannual Darbar Move due to rising Covid-19 cases

In wake of an increasing number of Covid-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir, the government on Thursday deferred Darbar Move - the biannual practice of shifting the seat of governance from one capital city to another.

Jammu: In wake of an increasing number of Covid-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir, the government on Thursday deferred Darbar Move - the biannual practice of shifting the seat of governance from one capital city to another.

This was announced by Lt. Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha after he held a high-level meeting to take stock of the Covid-19 situation in the Union Territory.

“In view of the sharply rising cases of Covid in J&K, the Govt has taken few important decisions ensuring safety of employees. Darbar move deferred because of Covid. Secretariat to function in both Srinagar & Jammu. Office functioning not be affected because of eOffice (sic)," the office of the LG tweeted.

“As J&K is witnessing surge in number of Covid cases, the threat it poses to the people/staff on the move and the implantation of e-Office in both the secretariats, in move offices it has been decided to defer the Darbar Move this time (sic),” another tweet read

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The secretariat in Srinagar & Jammu will function with staff equitably split between the two places and functioning will not be affected as files will be moving electronically between the two secretariats.

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Jammu and Kashmir has two rotating capital cities - Srinagar in summer and Jammu in the winter, with the seat of governance shifting twice a year between the two cities.

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