The Madhya Pradesh government is considering a significant change for its employees. Sources indicate that the government is considering reducing employee leave.
A four-member committee, comprised of Additional Chief Secretaries (ACS) from the Home, Finance, Revenue, and General Administration departments, has been formed to deliberate on the issue. This move is being taken especially in light of the increased leave periods over the past few years and the impact on work performance.
Working days reduced, holidays increased
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and some political reasons, employee leave has increased, causing disruption to government operations and the general public. Currently, the number of working days for employees has decreased to 168, while leave has increased to 197. This is why the government has formed a four-member committee to review this issue and suggest corrective measures.
Committee priorities and considerations
The committee has begun its work. Key points of discussion include the elimination of the five-day working day (Saturday holidays) implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, a suggestion has been made to limit religious holidays to employees of the respective religions. This means that only employees of those religions will be granted holidays on Hindu, Muslim, and Christian holidays.
Current holidays available to employees
According to the General Administration Department (GAD), employees currently receive various types of leave. These include 30 days of emergency leave, 20 days of medical leave, 13 compulsory holidays, 52 Saturdays, 52 Sundays, 27 government holidays, 3 optional holidays, and 3 additional holidays declared by the district collector. Female employees also receive six months of maternity leave.
Employee union response
Engineer Sudhir Nayak, president of the Madhya Pradesh Ministerial Employees Union, says that employees have never demanded or protested for holidays. He says that most of the holidays currently available are announced for political gain. Nayak also clarified that the government has not yet made any final decision regarding the reduction in holidays. The employees and union will only comment after the first order is issued.
Brief impact and employee anxiety
If implemented, this proposal could impact employees’ work and personal lives. Reductions in vacation time will not only impact personal plans but also increase workloads in the office. Both the union and the administration are carefully monitoring this matter.
