Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting in Srinagar to review preparations for the Darbar Move 2026-27, directing every concerned department to ensure a smooth, secure and well-coordinated shift of government offices from the summer capital to Jammu, with adequate facilities for the employees who will make the journey.
The Chief Minister instructed the Jammu and Kashmir Road Transport Corporation and the Traffic Department to ensure sufficient bus availability and to organise the down convoy over two consecutive days, October 31 and November 1, 2026. The convoy will carry employees as well as official equipment and records, and the Chief Minister stressed that its safe and efficient movement along the National Highway must be treated as a priority.
Calling for close interdepartmental coordination, Omar Abdullah said hassle-free movement of employees and the timely resumption of government functioning in Jammu depend on meticulous planning at every stage. Reviewing security arrangements, traffic management on the highway and residential accommodation for relocating staff, he asked the Police Department and other agencies to put comprehensive security measures in place, particularly in the residential areas where employees will be staying.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretaries Shaleen Kabra, Ashwini Kumar and Dheeraj Gupta, Administrative Secretaries, the Inspector General of Police, Traffic, the Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu and the Deputy Commissioners of Srinagar and Jammu attended the meeting, while officers based in Jammu joined through video conferencing. Commissioner Secretary of the General Administration Department, M. Raju, gave a detailed presentation on the transport and logistical plan for the convoy.
The meeting was told that medical cover will be available along the entire route, with doctors, paramedics and ambulances deployed in both the Kashmir and Jammu divisions to handle emergencies during the journey. Essential services, food and hospitality arrangements were also examined. The Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, was asked to look at traffic management inside the city, especially around major residential areas, and to identify suitable stops along the route for food and public conveniences, including washrooms, for officials and employees travelling over the long mountain road.
On the Winter Secretariat in Srinagar, which will function with minimal staff, the Chief Minister directed the General Administration Department to issue monthly rosters of Ministers and Administrative Secretaries to be stationed there from November. He further directed that special casual leave be granted to Kashmir-based employees moving to Jammu in connection with the Darbar Move, and the meeting was informed that an order to this effect would be issued shortly.
The Darbar Move is a distinctive administrative tradition of Jammu and Kashmir, under which the civil secretariat and key offices shift between Srinagar and Jammu every six months, keeping both regions at the centre of governance. Its logistics, from vehicles and records to housing and medical readiness, involve thousands of employees and span hundreds of kilometres, which explains the early and detailed review. The Chief Minister asked all departments to work in close coordination so that the transition is completed without disruption and government business begins seamlessly in Jammu.
