Jammu, Apr 28: After closure of Darbar Move offices in Jammu, a convoy of 14 buses carrying government employees left for Srinagar amid tight security at about 7 am today.
SSP Security Manmohan Singh said that trucks carrying files and other record would leave for Srinagar on Sunday morning as all vehicles could not be loaded on Saturday morning. He said that about 200 vehicles including trucks are expected to leave for Srinagar.
He further said that one-way traffic will be allowed on the Srinagar-Jammu highway for two days beginning Saturday. Also, the convoys of the military and para-military forces will not be allowed to ply on the highway for four days on which state government employees would move.
SSP Security Jammu has been given the task of supervising packing/loading of records of the offices located outside the Secretariat from security point of view. And the SP Security, Civil Secretariat, has been given the task to ensure the entrance of trucks/records in the Civil Secretariat, Srinagar/Jammu after proper scrutiny.
Health Department has been asked to arrange medical aid facilities at various places including Jajarkotli, Udhampur, Kud, Patnitop, Ramban, Ramsu, Banihal, Quazigund and Bijbehara on the days when the employees travel from Jammu to Srinagar.
During the week-long process, files, documents and other assets will be shifted to Srinagar.
The practice of Darbar Move was started by Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1872 to escape extreme weather conditions of Jammu during summer and harsh winters in Srinagar.
Over 5,000 employees and trucks loaded with records are shifted from Jammu to Srinagar and vice versa during Darbar move.
CHAOS ON HIGHWAY:
 Chaos prevailed on the Jammu-Srinagar highway on Saturday as heavy rainfall and traffic jam wreaked havoc at several places in Ramban district.
 Commuters alleged that despite announcing the one way traffic, the traffic police officials were allowing the vehicles to ply from Srinagar to Jammu. “Several hundred vehicles were allowed to move towards Jammu from Srinagar despite the restriction imposed by the government”, Abdul Ahad of Srinagar, who was struck in traffic jam at Banihal told Greater Kashmir over phone.
 A senior traffic police officer, however, said that the restrictions were put in place from this evening as the first convoy of the secretariat employees was to move towards Srinagar. He said that no vehicle will be allowed to move towards Jammu during these two days.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 28 Apr 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:00:00 IST