Karnataka government concerned about 100 holidays a year, forms panel to trim number

BENGALURU: Of 365 days in a year, government employees have holidays, leave and weekly offs for 100 days and that’s worrying the state administration.

The cabinet on Monday decided to form a sub-committee to look into 100 days of holidays, including earned leave of government employees, to increase the efficiency of the administration.

Law & parliamentary affairs minister Krishna Byregowda said ministers discussed the issue as public perception of the state government not functioning effectively is a serious concern. “With as many as 100 days of weekly offs, leave, several jayanthis and other holidays, there’s a general perception that government offices are not functioning effectively. A cabinet sub-committee has been formed to look into the issue,” he said.

When pointed out that the Sixth Pay Commission has also recommended every fourth Saturday to be declared a closed holiday, Byregowda said: “We are trying to rationalise holidays given in the state and giving fourth Saturday as a holiday appears impractical. The government is not against fourth Saturday being declared a holiday, but there needs to be a reduction of holidays elsewhere.”

Byregowda said there have been demands from various quarters of government officials for holidays on weekends, which will also be studied by the sub-committee. At the meeting, ministers reportedly discussed which holidays can be dispensed with. “If we ask one jayanthi to be declared a non-holiday, that community will be offended. We’re facing serious problems to function efficiently with the number of holidays which disrupt our weekly working hours,” said a minister.

Byregowda said public representations have been made by several communities including Veerashaiva-Lingayats organisations to declare Bavasanna Jayanthi a non-holiday, considering that the 12th century social reformer always said ‘Kayakave Kailasa’ (work is worship).

He said CM HD Kumaraswamy will decided who will head the cabinet sub-committee. The cabinet, meanwhile, sanctioned a calendar of 21 days of government holidays for 2019 apart from offs on 52 Sundays and 12 second Saturdays.