Panchayat General Elections 2018 – Revised Public Holiday
GOVERNMENT OF WEST BENGAL
FINANCE (AUDIT) DEPARTMENT
325, SARAT CHATTERJEE ROAD, NABANNA,
HOWRAH – 711 102.
No. 2739-F(P2) Howrah, the 27th April, 2018
MEMORANDUM
In view of the revised scheduled for Panchayat General Elections 2018 to the Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad Constituencies to be held on the 14th May, 2018 (Monday) in 20 districts namely, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Howrah, Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Purulia, Bankura, Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman and Birbhum, the Governor is hereby pleased to declare 14th May, 2018 (Monday) to be a public holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 for the aforesaid districts, in cancellation of No. 2161-F(P2) dated 04-04-2018 of this Department.
All State Government Offices including Educational Institutions, State Government Undertakings, Corporations, Boards, Statutory and Local Bodies and other Parastatals under the State Government situated within the districts excepting those within the municipal area shall remain closed on the said date so that every employee is able to exercise his/her right to franchise in the elections.
2. Labour Department will issue suitable instructions to Shop, Commercial and Industrial Establishments including Tea Gardens to declare the said date for the concerned districts as paid holiday for the workers to enable them to exercise their franchise in the elections.
3. In case the date of poll is a working day for any office under Central Government or any other establishment within the concerned district, the employees working on those offices and establishments and who are voters to the elections shall be permitted to cast their votes by way of granting special leave.
4. In case of employee working outside of the concerned district and when the date of poll has not been declared as a holiday in that area, the employee shall be allowed special leave for the day to enable him/her to cast the vote.
5. In case of repoll, the employees/workers shall be allowed to cast their votes on the date of repoll in the manner stated above.
6. The day before the date of poll being the date of despatch i.e. 13th May, which falls on Sunday, is a holiday under the N. I. Act. Hence, a separate order declaring local holiday for the Educational Institutions situated within the districts need not be issued.
In case any educational institution or establishment falling within any municipal area has been selected as Despatch/Reception Centre or for any other election related purpose, local holiday may be declared for the said institution/establishment by the Competent Authority on the date of despatch or reception, as the case may be.
7. The poll process may continue up to late hours in the night on 14th May, 2018 and the polling parties may obtain their release from their Reception Centres in the small hours of the morning (or even afterwards) of 15th May, 2018 rendering it difficult for them to attend office in time on 15th May, 2018. In consideration of the situation, special leave may be allowed for the 15th May, 2018 to such deserving employees only.
Sd/- D. K. Mahapatra
OSD & E.O. Special Secretary,
Finance Department,
Government of West Bengal.