# Darbar Move Begins: 91 Government Offices to Shift from Srinagar to Jammu
Srinagar, October 31: The annual Darbar Move from Srinagar to Jammu is set to begin today, with 91 government offices and establishments scheduled to relocate to the winter capital ahead of their reopening on November 2.
According to the government’s plan, 41 offices—including the Civil Secretariat departments and the Chief Minister’s Secretariat—will move in full, while 50 departments and establishments will operate in camp mode with a limited number of staff.
The employee convoys will travel along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) over the weekend. Authorities have announced restrictions on heavy and medium goods vehicles on October 31 and November 1. Transporters carrying fresh produce, perishable goods and livestock have been advised to plan their journeys accordingly.
The government has fixed the Special Move Travel Allowance at ₹25,000 per eligible employee. Employees who do not relocate within the prescribed timeline will not qualify for the allowance.
To maintain administrative continuity in Kashmir, the General Administration Department will establish a Winter Secretariat at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar. Each department has been asked to identify one gazetted officer and four non-gazetted employees to remain stationed there, subject to approval.
The Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department will establish ration counters near residential colonies of employees moving to Jammu. The Estates Department will arrange accommodation for relocating officers and staff.
After reopening, the Civil Secretariat and Heads of Departments located within its premises in Jammu will function from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Moving Heads of Departments located outside the Civil Secretariat and observing a six-day week will work from **10:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
The Darbar Move is the biannual transfer of key government offices between Srinagar, the summer capital, and Jammu, the winter capital. The tradition continues to shape the seasonal administrative functioning of Jammu and Kashmir.
