Jammu: Civil Secretariat reopens as Durbar Move resumes
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah received a ceremonial guard of honour as government offices shifted from Srinagar to the winter capital on Monday.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration resumed functioning from the winter capital, Jammu, on Monday as part of the biannual Durbar Move. According to the Kashmir Observer, the Civil Secretariat and other government offices, including the Lok Bhawan, reopened following their closure in Srinagar two days earlier.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah arrived at the Civil Secretariat, the seat of the Union Territory government, and took the salute during a ceremonial guard of honour provided by a contingent of the Jammu and Kashmir Police. The Chief Minister also toured various offices and interacted with officials.
The Durbar Move involves the biannual shifting of the Civil Secretariat and other government offices between Srinagar and Jammu. The offices operate from Srinagar from May to October and move to Jammu during the winter months.
Introduced by the Dogra rulers in 1872, the practice was discontinued in 2021 by the Lieutenant Governor-led administration to transition to e-office and save expenditure. The Omar Abdullah-led government restored the arrangement in October 2025.
Security has been strengthened in Jammu, with police and paramilitary personnel deployed around the Secretariat, vital installations, and important roads. The Civil Secretariat and residential accommodation for employees underwent renovation and a facelift ahead of the reopening.