Jammu, Nov 2 (IANS) The Jammu and Kashmir Civil Secretariat and other key government offices resumed functioning in Jammu on Monday as part of the revived biannual Darbar Move tradition. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah formally resumed work from the winter capital after arriving at the Civil Secretariat, where he was accorded a guard of honour by a contingent of the J&K Armed Police.With his arrival at the Civil Secretariat, all top offices, including those of the Chief Minister, his cabinet colleagues, and senior bureaucrats including the chief secretary and commissioners, started functioning on Monday.The Darbar Move offices closed in summer capital Srinagar on October 30. The tradition of shuttling the top offices between the twin capitals of Srinagar and Jammu was started by the erstwhile Dogra Maharajas of J&K. The nearly 160-year-old practice was kept alive till 2021, when the Lt Governor discontinued the practice.

After an elected government headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took office, the practice of Darbar Move was resumed in 2025. The resumption of the six-monthly practice of shuttling offices between Srinagar and Jammu was one of the electoral promises made by the National Conference (NC) in its 2024 election manifesto.Traders and the business community of Jammu had opposed the abandonment of the practice, arguing that the arrival of the top offices in Jammu during the winter months has helped the growth of businesses in Jammu division.In addition to the civil secretariat, all other offices of major heads of departments like the Director General of police (DGP), Director, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), headquarters of crime, traffic, home guards, fire and essential services etc. also follow the practice.

The office of the Lt Governor and the Chief Justice of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court also shifts to Jammu during the winter months.In order to ensure uninterrupted supplies of essential commodities and to attend to public grievances, a winter secretariat manned by a senior bureaucrat functions in Srinagar on a rotational basis.

/IANS