In good news for West Bengal government employees, offices will be closed for 22 days in the Durga Puja month of October. With Durga Puja festivities starting from last week of September itself this year, other festivals like Kali Puja, Diwali, Bhai Phonta and Chhath Puja falls in the month of October.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced that state government offices would be closed for 11 days from September 30 (Panchami) to October 10 (the day after Lakshmi Puja) this year.
Kali Puja and Diwali falls on October 24 and 25 respectively. October 27 is a holiday on account on Bhai Dooj while Chhath Puja falls on October 31.
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Last year, state government employees enjoyed 16 days of holidays in the Durga Puja month.
Banerjee said she was determined to make Durga Puja a special one this year and the government would take out a rally on September 1 to thank UNESCO for according the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) tag to the festival.
“This year, celebrations will be unique. Pujas will commence a day before the Mahalaya. We will organise a rally on September 1. It will be a rally to thank UNESCO, and all are welcome to participate in it. The rally will commence from Jorasanko Thakurbari at 2 pm,” Mamata Banerjee said following an administrative meeting in Kolkata.
Banerjee suggested that offices and schools be closed by 1 pm on that day to avoid chaos and traffic congestion.
The TMC supremo also said that the annual Durga Puja carnival at Red Road in Kolkata would be held on October 8, three days after ‘Dashami’.
Following the meeting, Banerjee also announced a hike in the financial assistance for each of the state’s over 40,000 clubs that organise Durga Puja to Rs 60,000 from last year’s Rs 50,000. She also announced a 60 per cent rebate on electricity bills.
