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The historic tradition of the Darbar Transfer, in which the administrative machinery of Jammu and Kashmir shifts between the two capitals, Jammu and Srinagar, has resumed after a four-year pause. The practice, which dates back 150 years, had been suspended due to the enormous cost involved, estimated at around Rs 200 crore annually. According to an official order issued by M Raju, Commissioner Secretary of the General Administration Department, offices in Srinagar, including the Civil Secretariat, will close after working hours on October 31 and will reopen in Jammu on November 3. Alongside the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, 38 key departments including Revenue, Forest, Transport, Custodian General, and the Jammu and Kashmir Technical Education Board, will be fully transferred. Forty-seven other departments, such as Silk Production, Horticulture, Geology and Mining, and Economics and Statistics, will be relocated to temporary camps in Jammu. The Darbar Transfer, also known as the “Darbar Move”, traditionally occurred twice a year. Srinagar served as the summer capital, while Jammu functioned as the winter capital. Offices would move to Srinagar before summer and return to Jammu before winter. The practice was halted in 2021 by the Lieutenant Governor’s administration amid criticism of its high cost and logistical challenges. The tradition was introduced in 1872 by Maharaja Gulab Singh, the first Dogra ruler of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state. At a time when road connectivity was poor, the move aimed to bring the administration closer to people living in remote areas, particularly in Kashmir and Ladakh, and to ensure timely governance and supply distribution before winter snows blocked access to Ladakh. Historically, the process involved hundreds of trucks and buses, as well as thousands of administrative staff, with police and paramilitary forces deployed along the Jammu-Srinagar highway for security. This massive exercise required accommodation, travel allowances, and other logistics, adding to the overall expense. Critics have long argued that the funds could be better used to address pressing social needs such as healthcare, employment, and food security. In 2020, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court noted that the practice had “no legal or constitutional basis” and called it a waste of resources and time. The debate over the Darbar Move has often centered on Srinagar’s harsh winter conditions. While the city can experience temperatures around 3 degrees Celsius, skeptics argue that this alone may not justify shifting the administration, noting that other regions globally, such as Moscow, operate from a single capital despite much harsher winters. Nevertheless, supporters point out that the practice has strengthened the connection between Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh, and supports the local economy, particularly in Jammu during the winter months. Jammu and Kashmir is not the only state with two capitals. Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand also operate on a dual-capital system, with offices shifting seasonally to optimise governance and economic activity.
