SOURCE: SATYAJEET KUMAR/ FOR MY TAKE / IDRW.ORG
From November 4 onwards capital of newly formed Union Territory of J&K will shift to Jammu for six months as part of the biannual Durbar Move started by Dogra ruler Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1872 to escape the extreme weather of Kashmir in winter and Jammu in summer. J&K is only Union Territory in India which has two capital cities that function for six months each has its capital, but as rumors going around this might change soon.
The Durbar Move is turning out to be a half-yearly burden on the state exchequer and about Rs, 150 crores are spent annually on the bi-annual move. Union Territory of J&K might soon get one Captial and this biannual Durbar Move of shifting of Captial cities might be stopped forever.
Srinagar which is located nearly in the middle of the populated areas of Jammu & Kashmir is the most strategic place to control all the politics and functional working of the state. But in winters Srinagar becomes geographically challenging due to the blockage of National Highways and landslides. Thus every year the capital is shifted to Jammu to ensure the trade and business do not suffer.
Biannual Durbar Move happens because of extreme winter in Srinagar which can paralyze the local administration if the shift is not made to Jammu every year. while it is still not clear which among the two capital cities will be selected as its permanent capital. After major political reset after removal of the Article-370 and Article-35A, by the Central government recently, Union Territory of J&K is expected to see some major changes become it is accorded to the status of a State in next few years.
The Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir will have a Lieutenant-Governor and the maximum strength of its Assembly will further be enhanced to 114 after a delimitation exercise while Twenty-four seats of the Assembly continue to remain vacant as they fall under Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).