J&K administration moves to Srinagar for summer

After a six-month hiatus, the civil secretariat re-opened in Srinagar amidst an employees strike and tight security arrangements on Monday.

Jammu and Kashmir is the only state which has two seasonal capitals, Jammu during winters and Srinagar during summers.

Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad was given a ceremonial guard of honour inside the secretariat lawn, where senior cabinet colleagues and civil servants received him.

More than 5500 government employees have been following the six-monthly move ritual between winter capital Jammu and summer capital Srinagar, keeping alive a tradition started by the late Dogra Maharaja of the state. The move includes the offices of the chief minister, his cabinet colleagues, state chief secretary and all other senior civil and police officers.

The state employees went on a two-day strike from Monday morning to press the government for implementation of their demands, including enhancement in the superannuation age from 58 to 60.

This is the last move of the ruling Congress and Peoples Democratic Party coalition government as the state's assembly elections are due in October.