Srinagar, June 5 (KNS): J&K administration would take a call on the shifting of the Darbar Move – tradition of moving the capital of the region twice a year — from Srinagar to Jammu during the winter and back to Jammu in the summer on Monday.

A highly placed source in administration revealed to KNS that an important meeting would be held in the Jammu civil secretariat to take a call on the shifting of the Darbar move to Srinagar.

The opening of the Darbar move was delayed from its regular scheduled opening in the first week of May to 15 June after an order was issued by the General Administration Department J&K.

“It has been observed that the formal opening of the Darbar on 04.05.2020, as ordered vide government order no. 464-JK (GAD) of 2020 dated 10/04/2020, may affect the Covid-19 control efforts in the Union Territory,” reads the order in procession of KNS and issued by the General Administration Department of J&K government.

The order with KNS further reads, “The formal opening of the Darbar at Srinagar will take place on 15.06.2020. All officers assigned specific Covid-19 control tasks shall continue to function from their present location till further orders, so as to ensure Covid-19 control effects and not hampers on account of physical dislocation of officers.”

It added that the Civil Secretariat at Srinagar shall start functioning on 4 May with the staff and officers on an “as is where is” basis, i.e., staff will continue working where they are based.

Later on in a separate order Principal Secretary School Education Department Dr Asghar Hassan Samoon was made overall incharge of the Srinagar civil secretariat and other couple of Kashmiri officers were assigned additional covid 19 measures related duties and other developmental works of districts.

The move had drawn criticism, with many questioning the government’s decision who see it as a move to shift the capital of the union territory to Jammu permanently.(KNS)