Karnataka: Govt employees to get additional holiday every month from next year

BENGALURU: In a good news to its over five lakh employees, the state government on Thursday announced an additional holiday for them on every fourth Saturday of the month.
However, they will lose five casual leaves annually as the government would cut their CL quota from 15 to 10 in leau of an additional holiday. The employees will however, continue to enjoy holidays on account of Jayantis (birth anniversaries) of saints and religious leaders. There are four such holidays which include Basava Jayanathi, Kanaka Jayanti, Valmiki Jayanti and Mahavir Jayanti.
Earlier, the government had proposed to do away with these holidays but backtracked fearing a backlash from respective communities. While Basavanna represents Lingayats, Kanaka represents Kurubas, Valmiki scheduled tribes and Mahavir Jains.
The sixth pay commission had recommended scrapping of these holidays on account of Jayantis and implementing five day week system.
With an additional leave a month, the number of leaves the government employees in Karnataka enjoy in a year has gone up to 112 from 105.
“We welcome the decision of the state government to give an additional holiday,” said HK Ramu, president, Karnataka State Government Employees’ Union.
The employees had sought for five days week but the government agreed for an additional holiday stating that the work would hamper, he said.
The additional holiday is likely to come into effect only from next year as list of holidays for the current year is already out and any changes at this point of time would jeopardise the work schedule, said law and parliamentary affairs minister Krishna Byregowda while breifing media on cabinet decisions.
The government will take a decison on this, he added.