[Assam] This is a major change in Assam

[Dilip and Dil Deka]

Finally Assam has addressed the issue of unnecessary off days in a positive manner. 32 days have been reduced to 17 days. Will there be bandh now to protest the decision? I won't be surprised.
The private sector in USA traditionally has been observing 7 holidays and no one complains. The Europeans get a few more days off but no country has 32 days off with pay.
Did revival of work ethic bring the change in Assam or did Delhi force Dispur?
Dilip Deka
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Cabinet okays trimmed holiday list  
  
By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Dec 29: The three-member high-power committee that was formed by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has agreed with the Sixth Assam Pay Commission’s recommendation that the number of scheduled holidays of the State Government be reduced from 32 days to 17 days as is the case in the Central Government. The State Cabinet has already approved the trimmed holiday list as recommended by the Sixth Assam Pay Commission. Despite this fact, the State Government employees would avail of 32 days of scheduled holidays in 2010 since the government has already notified its holiday list for the year. It remains to be seen whether the employees who had earlier given their nod to the trimming of the holiday list so as to equalize it with that of the Central Government in the hope that pay parity with their Central Government counterparts would be maintained, would accept the trimmed holiday list.
The existing holiday list in the State has 32 scheduled holidays, besides two restricted holidays that can be availed of by each and every employee and two local holidays that can be declared so by the District Magistrate concerned under the Negotiable Instrument (NI) Act. The Central Government, on the other hand, has only 17 scheduled holidays.
The high-power committee is of the view that the Assam Government’s scheduled holidays should be reduced to 17 and, if need be, the number of restricted holidays can be increased from the existing two to four so as to give the employees greater flexibility to celebrate their respective festivals.
The people of the State may welcome the pruned holiday list as the number of working days in the State Government offices has been reduced due to bandhs as well. With 52 Sundays, 26 second and fourth Saturdays, 32 scheduled holidays, two restricted holidays and two local holidays a year, the total number of non-working days in the State Government offices comes out to be 114. 
Sources said that one of the two holidays — Madhavdev Tithi and Madhavdev Janmotsav  — could be made a restricted holiday. Likewise, Lakshmi Puja — that is performed in the evening and mostly by females — and Siu-Ka-Pha Divas can be made restricted holidays, sources said, and added: “Biswakarma Puja can be listed as a holiday since most of the buses remain off the roads on that day, much to the disadvantage of office-goers some of whom have to travel long distances. Likewise, the Uruka day preceding Magh Bihu can also be made a scheduled holiday as most of the employees leave office after 12 noon on that day.”