Panchayat General Election on 8th July, 2023
Finance, State Election Commission, Election
GOVERNMENT OF WEST BENGAL
FINANCE DEPARTMENT
AUDIT BRANCH
NABANNA, MANDIRTALA,
HOWRAH – 711 102
No. 3910-F(P2) Dated, Howrah, the 19th June, 2023
MEMORANDUM
In terms of Notification No. 594-SEC/1E-106/2022 dated 09/06/2023 of the West Bengal State Election Commission, General Elections to Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis and Zilla Parishads in 20 districts, viz. Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Birbhum, Nadia, North-24-Parganas, South-24-Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram, Paschim Medinipur and Purba Medinipur, and in terms of Notification No. 595-SEC/1E-106/2022 dated 09/06/2023 of the West Bengal State Election Commission, General Elections to Gram Panchayats and Panchayat Samitis in 02 districts, namely, Darjeeling and Kalimpong will be simultaneously held on 08/07/2023 (Saturday).
In this connection, the undersigned is directed by order of the Governor to say that the Governor is pleased to declare the date of poll i.e. 8th July, 2023 (Saturday) to be a public holiday under section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 for the aforesaid districts. All State Government offices, Undertakings, Corporation, Boards, Statutory and Local Bodies and other Parastatals, Educational Institutions etc. situated within the polling area of respective Gram Panchayat/ Panchayat Samiti/ Zilla Parishad of the notified districts (i.e., areas falling outside Municipalities/ Municipal Corporations in the districts) shall remain closed on the said date so that every employee is able to exercise his/her right to franchise in the elections.
2) For the Educational Institutions/ Government offices etc. which will be used as Polling Stations/ Sector Office/ Distribution-cum-Reception Centre, local holiday may be declared for the said institutions/ establishment by the Competent Authority on the date of dispatch i.e. 07th July, 2023 (Friday) [P-1] or 06th July, 2023 (Thursday) [P-2], as the case may be.
3) Labour Department will issue suitable instructions to shops, commercial and industrial establishments requiring them to declare the said date as a paid holiday for the workers of the concerned polling area to enable them to exercise their franchise in the election.
4) In case of an employee working outside the polling area and where the date of Poll has not been declared as holiday in his place of work, he/she shall be permitted to cast his/her vote by way of allowing special leave on that date.
5) In case of re-poll, the employees/ workers shall be allowed to cast their votes on the date of re-poll also in the manner as stated in Para-3) and 4) above.
Sd/- Saibal Barman
Secretary
to the Government of West Bengal