SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday directed departments to ensure adequate transport, security, medical assistance and accommodation for employees shifting from Srinagar to Jammu for the Darbar Move 2026-27, with the down convoy scheduled to operate over two days, October 31 and November 1.
At a high-level meeting to review preparations, the Chief Minister asked the Jammu and Kashmir Road Transport Corporation (JKRTC) and the Traffic Department to arrange sufficient buses and coordinate the movement of employees and official equipment to ensure an orderly transition.
Commissioner Secretary of the General Administration Department (GAD), M. Raju, presented details of the transport and logistical arrangements for the convoy.
Omar also directed the Police Department and other concerned agencies to put comprehensive security measures in place, particularly in residential areas where employees relocating to Jammu would stay. Traffic management along the National Highway and arrangements for residential accommodation were also reviewed.
The meeting was informed that medical facilities would be available along the convoy route, with doctors, paramedics and ambulances deployed in both the Kashmir and Jammu divisions.
The Chief Minister asked the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, to assess traffic management within the city, especially around major residential areas, and identify suitable locations along the route for food and other public convenience facilities, including washrooms. Arrangements for essential services, hospitality and other requirements of employees travelling to Jammu were also discussed.
The meeting reviewed the functioning of the Winter Secretariat in Srinagar, which will operate with a limited staff presence during the winter period. Omar directed the GAD to prepare monthly duty rosters for Ministers and Administrative Secretaries assigned to the secretariat, beginning in November.
He also directed that special casual leave be granted to Kashmir-based employees moving to Jammu in connection with the Darbar Move. The meeting was informed that an order on the leave provision would be issued shortly.
Emphasising the need for detailed planning and coordination between departments, the Chief Minister said arrangements must ensure the safety and convenience of employees and allow government offices to resume their work smoothly in Jammu.
The Darbar Move is an administrative tradition under which government offices shift between Srinagar and Jammu according to the seasonal arrangement.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary, Estates, Shaleen Kabra, Additional Chief Secretary, Power Development Department, Ashwini Kumar, and Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister, Dheeraj Gupta, attended the meeting.
Administrative Secretaries, the Inspector General of Police, Traffic, Jammu and Kashmir, the Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu, the Deputy Commissioners of Srinagar and Jammu, the Director of Information and other senior officers were also present. Officers based in Jammu participated through video conferencing.
