PANJIM: Government servants are enjoying a four-day long weekend since Thursday, as a large number of staffers opted for leave on April 13, a day before the Good Friday holiday. It came useful as most children are already on their summer vacation.
April 14 being a public holiday, followed by the weekly offs on Saturday and Sunday, government employees took an extended weekend nearly paralysing work in offices.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar himself admitted that nearly 75 percent of the staffers in the State Secretariat are on leave from Thursday. “I won’t be able to draft the portfolio allocation to the Ministers as nearly 75 percent of the staffers are on leave from tomorrow,” Parrikar had said on the sidelines of the swearing-in ceremony of two Ministers on Wednesday.
Sources in the government secretariat, Porvorim, said attendance on Thursday was down by 50-55 percent. Departments like PWD, Power, City Corporation, Transport, Tourism, Collectorate, saw average attendance.
A government official in Panjim admitted that employees plan long weekends well in advance by applying for casual leave on the one working day between holidays to enjoy a welcome extended break.
“Government employees are entitled to 12 days casual leave annually, besides earned leave, sick leave, local and discretionary holidays. A day’s casual leave is used to extend the weekend,” the employee said.
With the summer vacation on, government servants who are parents took this weekend as an opportunity for a vacation with their children.
