J&K civil secretariat reopens in Srinagar after Darbar Move
All top offices of the Jammu and Kashmir government reopened in Srinagar on Monday, 4 May, marking the completion of the biannual Darbar Move — the 150-year-old practice of shuttling the full civil secretariat between the summer and winter capitals. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was received with a ceremonial guard of honour upon his arrival at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar, formally resuming governance from the summer capital after six months in Jammu.
What the Darbar Move Involves
Under the tradition, the offices of the Chief Minister, cabinet colleagues, and senior bureaucrats alternate between Jammu during winter and Srinagar during summer. Around 38 departments have fully relocated to Srinagar, while several others are operating on a camp basis with limited staff strength. The General Administration Department had issued advance orders specifying that five-day offices in Jammu closed on 30 April, while six-day offices ceased functioning on 2 May.
Working Hours and Logistics
Working hours in Srinagar have been fixed at 9:30 am to 5:30 pm for Secretariat departments and 10 am to 4:30 pm for other offices. Preparatory work — including road repairs and infrastructure readiness — was carried out in advance to facilitate smooth functioning. A summer secretariat camp office will continue to operate in Jammu as well.
Restoration After Years of Discontinuation
The Darbar Move had been discontinued during the period of central rule in the union territory, when no elected government was in place. It was restored by the elected government headed by Omar Abdullah as an integrative measure between the two divisions of the union territory, aimed at making governance more accessible to both regions. The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) noted on its official X handle:
