PANJIM/MARGAO: Citizens could well have to wait till Monday, to get any work done at government offices, with yet another government near total shut down over the long weekend, starting with New Year’s restricted holiday on Thursday that saw average attendance in many government offices.
A truncated week with a ‘four-day’ weekend started with a restricted holiday on January 1 and will end on January 4, a Sunday. The only working day in between is Friday, January 2, but there are chances that employees will opt for a day’s casual leave enabling them to enjoy an extended weekend. Saturday and Sunday are regular weekend holidays.
A government official in Panjim, admitted that government employees plan well in anticipation of a long weekend 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.
A tour of a few government offices showed poor to average attendance in Panjim. In a few cases heads of departments are also on long leave till January 4. These include director of transport, director of tourism, director of panchayats, director of Indian Meteorological Department and of some other departments.
In some departments in Panjim, government employees had opted for 10 to 15 days leave beginning from December 24 till January 4. The employees opted for these accumulated holidays for the calendar year only in December without staggering them over the year, bringing the administration to a complete standstill.
December, the last month of the calendar year is always perceived as a month to relax, with festivities galore, beginning with the St Francis Xavier feast on December 3, feast of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception at Panjim, Liberation Day holiday, followed by Christmas and New Year.
However, attendance in government offices in Margao on the first day of the year was moderate, especially in the South Goa District Collectorate and the Margao Municipality. While some officers and staff attached to the Collectorate were on an extended holiday, district Collector, South Venancio Furtado said the district Collectorate had a remarkably good attendance on day one of the New Year.
“As per my information, nearly 90 to 95 per cent officials and staff have reported for duty on day one of the New Year,” he claimed.
The situation in the Margao Municipality was no different, with most of the staff reporting for work on Thursday.
Sources said that long weekends or long holidays lead to overcrowding of departments when they re-open the following Monday. Citizens in need, will desperately hope that the administration resumes and does their work when doors of the government open next week, especially in the capital city.
A truncated week with a ‘four-day’ weekend started with a restricted holiday on January 1 and will end on January 4, a Sunday. The only working day in between is Friday, January 2, but there are chances that employees will opt for a day’s casual leave enabling them to enjoy an extended weekend. Saturday and Sunday are regular weekend holidays
