The Yogi Government has decided to curtail 15 holidays which were announced by the previous Governments on the birth and death anniversaries of eminent personalities. The State Cabinet which met in lucknow on Tuesday took the decision.
State spokesperson and UP Power Minister Shrikant Sharma while briefing about the decisions said that during birth and death anniversaries of eminent personalities, all schools and colleges will have an hour-long function educating students about the achievements of these personalities.
“We have also asked educational institutions to hold similar programmes during the birth and death anniversaries of freedom fighters and other persons who contributed to the country,” he said.
The Minister clarified that Government offices will also remain open on those days.
“The departments can also hold seminars and similar functions for an hour or so but more or less it will be normal working hour for the offices,” he said.
Uttar Pradesh is notorious for having public holidays in Government institutions. Governments offices and educational institutions remain closed for over 100 days. These holidays include 48 gazetted holidays which comprise birth anniversary of 23 great personalities including Guru Govind Singh, Karpoori Thakur, Maharishi Kashyap, Chetti Chand, lord Mahavir, Md Hazrat Ali and Mahatama Gandhi. Government schools remain closed for over 60 days in winter and summer vacations while Government officers get 17 restricted holidays.
The holidays which have been curtailed under Negotiable Instruments Act are: Karpoori Thakur’s birth anniversay (Jan 24), Mahrishi Kashyap avum Maharaj Guha Jayanti (April 5), Cheti Chand (March 29), Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti (April 14), Chandrashekhar Jayanti (April 17), Parshuram Jayanti (April 28), loknayak Maharana Pratap Jayanti (May 9), Jumatul Vida, Vishwakarma Puja (Sept 17), Maharaja Agrasen Jayanti (Sept 21), Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti (Oct 5), Chhatt Puja (Oct 26), Sardar Vallabhbhi Patel and Acharya Narendra Dev Jayanti (October 31), Eid-e-Milad, Chaudhry Charan Singh Jayanti (Dec 23).