Yet another bid by Mamata Banerjee to spread holiday cheer in Bengal fell flat on its face on Monday. The chief minister’s sudden and unexplained announcement of Monday being a government holiday on account of Shab-e-barat led to comic confusion in government offices across the state with lakhs of employees not knowing whether to attend office or not in the absence of the mandatory order from the finance department declaring the day a holiday.
Mamata sprang the surprise announcement at a public meeting at Minakhan in North 24-Parganas on Sunday. But it was not followed by any official order, leading to the confusion. What’s more, the state government’s notification specifying government holidays released at the beginning of the year mentions Shab-e-barat as a ‘sectional holiday’ (that can be availed by Muslims) on June 25 (Tuesday). The other sectional holidays included Easter Saturday (March 30), Mahavir Jayanti (April 23) and Buddha Purnima (May 25). This notification clearly states that in case of any change of date for Shab-e-barat – the day is decided by clerics according to the sighting of the moon – the revised date would be notified by a separate order. It also mentions that if the change of date has to be announced at very short notice, the declaration would be made over television, radio and other media. But no separate order was passed. Nor was there any announcement.
Many perplexed government employees who heard about Mamata’s announcement did not turn up in their offices on Monday. Others called up their colleagues and seniors and, learning that the finance department had not issued any formal order, hurried to their workplaces. They all reported for work around noon or early afternoon. At Writers’ Building, chief secretary Sanjay Mitra reached his chamber at 9 am. But those employees who simply went by Mamata’s announcement and observed Monday as a holiday were left a very unhappy lot-they’ll lose one casual leave. “About 25% of employees at Writers’ did not report for work. They’ll have to apply for casual leave,” said a senior government officer.
A senior labour department employee, who resides in Ultadanga, had left home in the morning to reach her office in the new secretariat building. But she returned home mid way thinking that her office would remain close. It was only after a colleague informed her that offices were open that she again left home for work in the afternoon. Ananta Bandyopadhaya, general secretary of state coordination committee of government employees, said that government employees could not enjoy the holiday on Monday even after the chief minister’s announcement as there was no government order issued on this.
Mamata’s penchant for declaring holidays is well known. On June 14, a sudden announcement around noon that the day would be declared a half-holiday on account of ‘Jamai Shasti’ surprised and cheered government employees, who rushed home as soon as the clock struck 2pm. Not all, of course, were ‘jamais’ rushing to their in-laws’ for gastronomic treats. Mamata delighted many government employees earlier by adding ‘Chhath Puja’ to the list of sectional holidays. Not to mention the extraordinarily long Durga Puja break all government employees are set to enjoy this year.
Courtesy:Timesofindia
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Shab-e-Barat-Mamata-Banerjee-rings-in-holiday-mood-a-bit-too-early/articleshow/20754049.cms