Petition demands restriction of holidays for government offices: Times of India News
MADURAI: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed at the Madras high court Madurai bench seeking restriction of holidays for government offices.
One S Ilamuhil of Vayalur in Trichy has filed the PIL seeking direction to the union secretary for personnel, public grievances and pension and secretary of state’s personnel and administrative reforms to declare Saturday as working day for all departments and to restrict festival holidays.
The matter came up before the division bench of justices N Kirubakaran and S Vaidyanathan on Wednesday for admission.
The bench was told that while working days for school students and college students are more than 200 days in a year, the same for government servants are just 196 days.
“In developed western countries, peoples’ grievances are immediately redressed and relieves are delivered at the doorstep of the citizens. Therefore, Saturday and Sunday alone are holidays for them. But, the situation is opposite here in India,” the petitioner’s counsel said.
Lakhs of petitions pertaining to patta, driving licence, planning and building permission, electricity service connection, pension, compensation claims are pending with the government, he contended.
On March 24, 2008, the central pay commission submitted a report to the government recommending restriction of holidays for offices. It had said the government offices should remain closed only on three national holidays – January 26 (Republic Day), August 15 (Independence Day) and October 2 (Gandhi Jayanthi). It had also given suggestions regarding other holidays. But, the recommendation has been kept in abeyance, he said.
Since the government offices are closed for nearly one-third of the year, peoples’ need with government is pending for many months. Hence, on April 29 a representation was sent to both the central and state governments’ above mentioned officers with regard to adopting the pay commission’s recommendation. But, no action was taken by them, the court was told.
Following it, the court withheld the matter to pass interim order.
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COMMENTS
school timing is 6 hrs only but govt. office opens for 8hrs…….so I guess there is no comparison between them……n if work is pending create more office n man power.
Five days week in Government offices was introduced when the late RajivGandhi was the Prime Minister in order curtail expenditure on account of telephone, fuel for vehicles, electricity charges, etc., Since 20 years had already been passed after the introduction of five days week in Government offices, the Government employees may not be happy, if six days week is introduced.