Darbar Move: Winter capital admin resumes functioning from Jammu as civil secretariat reopens

The Jammu and Kashmir administration resumed functioning from Jammu as part of the revived 154-year-old Darbar Move tradition. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited the Civil Secretariat after its reopening, with heightened security arrangements and renovated government buildings marking the shift

Jammu: The administration of Jammu and Kashmir resumed functioning from the winter capital, Jammu, on Monday, with the Civil Secretariat and other government offices, including the Lok Bhawan, reopening here as part of the 154-year-old biannual Darbar Move practice, officials said.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour upon his arrival at the Civil Secretariat, the seat of the Union Territory government, and took the salute as the offices resumed functioning, two days after closing in the summer capital Srinagar.

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Abdullah conducted a whirlwind tour of various offices at the Secretariat and interacted with officials.

The reopening marks the resumption of the biannual administrative arrangement under which the government shifts its offices between Jammu and Srinagar, officials said.

Security arrangements have been strengthened in Jammu, with police and paramilitary personnel deployed in key areas, particularly around the Secretariat. Security has also been stepped up along important roads and around vital installations, they said.

The Civil Secretariat, which houses the offices of the chief minister, ministers, chief secretary and other senior government functionaries, underwent renovation and facelift ahead of the reopening. Government buildings and residential accommodation for employees were also renovated.

Introduced by the Dogra rulers in 1872, the Darbar Move was aimed at allowing the administration to escape the harsh winter conditions of the Kashmir Valley by shifting its base to Jammu during the colder months.

The practice continued after Independence and evolved into an important administrative and economic link between the two regions.

The biannual movement of thousands of government employees and their families to Jammu provided a significant boost to the local economy, particularly businesses and markets during the winter season.

However, the practice was discontinued in 2021 by the Lieutenant Governor-led administration, citing the transition to e-office and the need to save crores of rupees in expenditure.

The decision had triggered criticism, particularly from the business community in Jammu, which viewed the movement of the administration as a major source of economic activity.

The Omar Abdullah-led government restored the Darbar Move in October 2025, fulfilling an electoral promise and reviving the decades-old administrative arrangement between Jammu and Srinagar.