Jammu, Oct 31: The Darbar Move offices are set to reopen in Jammu, the Winter Capital of Jammu and Kashmir, on November 2, marking the return of the annual seasonal shift of the government's administrative base from Srinagar.

Ahead of the reopening, the city is undergoing its customary makeover, with the Traffic Department installing new road dividers and regulating vehicular movement to ensure smooth traffic management.
"The offices closed in Srinagar today and will reopen in Jammu on November 2," officials said.
The Jammu and Kashmir government, headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has formally ordered the Darbar Move for 2026-27, reviving the 150-year-old administrative tradition of shifting the government's base between the two capital cities.
Notably, the Lieutenant Governor-led administration had halted the 150-year-old practice in June 2021, citing the transition to a digital e-office system and estimated annual savings of worth crores.
Reviving the tradition was a key promise in the National Conference's 2024 election manifesto.
Meanwhile, official bungalows, government buildings and employees' quarters are also getting a facelift ahead of the biannual event.
Security arrangements are also being strengthened. Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu Zone, Tejinder Singh, reviewed the security preparedness in a meeting convened to ensure coordinated arrangements ahead of the reopening of government offices in the Winter Capital.
The road leading to the Civil Secretariat will also be closed ahead of the reopening of the Move offices for security reasons, said an official.
The practice of shifting the seat of government from Srinagar to Jammu during winter and vice versa was started by Maharaja Ranbir Singh in 1872 to escape the extreme weather conditions of the twin capital cities.