No physical movement of files required during 'darbar move' as J-K administration goes digital

The J-K administration implemented the e-Office project to ensure no physical movement of files are required for the very first time when darbar moved from Jammu to Srinagar in June 2021.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Sunday said that it has successfully switched over to e-Office, which has obviated the requirement of physical movement of files and records for the traditional biannual 'darbar move', reported news agency ANI.

A motorcade of J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha enter the Civil Secretariat complex. (ANI Photo)

The Union territory's administration implemented the e-Office project and scanned and digitised more than 2 crore pages from 3.50 lakh files to ensure no physical movement of files are required for the very first time when darbar moved from Jammu to Srinagar in June 2021, the news agency reported, citing the administration as saying.

"The UT administration's offices in the civil secretariat have completely switched over to e-Office which has obviated the requirement of physical movement of files/ records from Jammu to Srinagar and vice versa," the administration said, according to ANI.

The traditional 'darbar move' is a biannual exercise of migrating of administration office between Jammu and Srinagar. Every year, the civil secretariat and all government offices shift from Jammu to Srinagar and vice versa based on the seasons.

This shift used to require the physical movement of all files from one capital to another. During the move, the files were physically transferred between the cities in at least 300 trucks, ANI reported PK Pole, the divisional commissioner of Kashmir as saying.

"Every year the capital of the Jammu and Kashmir is shifted to Jammu during winter and to Srinagar during the summer. All the files with officials were physically moved from one capital to another during the darbar move in at least 300 trucks," Pole told ANI.

"For the first time, the files have been digitalized and have been put in the e-Office mode. The files are now available both at Jammu and Srinagar offices. This is important for the developmental project," Pole added as he said when the administration was functional at Jammu, activities at Srinagar would be at a standstill and vice versa, according to the ANI report.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in April asserted the requirement of digitization in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic when he announced the postponement of the move.

All government offices are housed in Srinagar from May to October, while in the remaining six months Jammu is the capital city.