Public holiday on Poll Days of Parliamentary Election, 2024
In view of the 18th General Elections to the House of People, 2024 (Parliamentary Elections, 2024) scheduled to be held on 19th, 26th April, 2024, 7th, 13th, 20th, 25th May, 2024 and 1st June, 2024GOVERNMENT OF WEST BENGAL
Finance (Audit) Department
NABANNA
325, Sarat Chatterjee Road
Howrah – 711102.
No. 1540-F(P2)/FA/O/2M/74/16(NB) Dated, Howrah, the 27th March, 2024
MEMORANDUM
In view of the 18th General Elections to the House of People, 2024 (Parliamentary Elections, 2024) scheduled to be held on 19th, 26th April, 2024, 7th, 13th, 20th, 25th May, 2024 and 1st June, 2024 in different Parliamentary Constituencies and simultaneous Bye-elections to 2 (two) Assembly Constituencies as detailed in following TABLE, vide Press Note Nos. ECI/PN/23/2024 and ECI/PN/24/2024 both dated 16th March, 2024 of the Election Commission of India, the undersigned is directed to say that the Governor is hereby pleased to declare the dates of Poll as public holiday as per TABLE below (i.e., wherever applicable) under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 for the respective Parliamentary Constituency/ Assembly Constituency.
| Phase | Date of Poll (Day) | No. & Name of Parliamentary Constituency (PC) with Total No. of PCs involved | No. & Name of Assembly Constituency for Bye-elections | Holiday declared under N.l. Act | |
| (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) | |
| 1st Phase | 19/04/2024 (Friday) | Coochbehar (SC) Alipurduars (ST) 3-Jalpaiguri (SC) | 3 | 19/04/2024 (Friday) | |
| 2nd Phase | 26/04/2024 (Friday) | 4-Darjeeling (GEN) 5-Raiganj (GEN) 6-Balurghat (GEN) | 3 | 26/04/2024 (Friday) | |
| 3rd Phase | 07/05/2024 (Tuesday) | 7-Maldaha Uttar (GEN) 8-Maldaha Dakshin (GEN) 9-Jangipur (GEN) 11-Murshidabad (GEN) | 4 | 62-Bhagawangola | 07/05/2024 (Tuesday) |
| 4th Phase | 13/05/2024 (Monday) | 10-Baharampur (GEN) 12-Krishnanagar (GEN) 13-Ranaghat (SC) 38-Bardhaman Purba (SC) 39-Bardhaman-Durgapur (GEN) 40-Asansol (GEN) 41-Bolpur (SC) 42-Birbhum (GEN) | 8 | 13/05/2024 (Monday) | |
| 5th Phase | 20/05/2024 (Monday) | 14-Bangaon (SC) 15-Barrackpur (GEN) Howrah (GEN) Uluberia (GEN) 27-Sreerampur (GEN) Hooghly (GEN) Arambag (SC) | 7 | 20/05/2024 (Monday) | |
| 6th Phase | 25/05/2024 (Saturday) | Tamuk (GEN) Kanthi (GEN) Ghatal (GEN) Jhargram (ST) 34-Medinipur (GEN) Purulia (GEN) Bankura (GEN) Bishnupur (SC) | 8 | 25/05/2024 (Saturday) | |
| 7th Phase | 01/06/2024 (Saturday) | 16-Dum Dum (GEN) Barasat (GEN) Basirhat (GEN) Jaynagar (SC) 20-Mathurapur (SC) 21-Diamond Harbour (GEN) 22-Jadavpur (GEN) 23-Kolkata Dakshin (GEN) 24-Kolkata Uttar (GEN) | 9 | 113-Baranagar | 01/06/ 2024 (Saturday) |
- All Government Offices, Organizations under it, Undertaking, Corporations, Boards, Statutory and Local Bodies, Education Institutions etc. within the Parliamentary Constituency as well as the Assembly Constituency will remain closed on the respective dates so that every employee is able to exercise his/her right to franchise in the election.
- Labour Department will issue suitable instructions to shops, commercial and industrial establishments including Tea Gardens to declare the said dates for the concerned Parliamentary Constituency and Assembly Constituency as paid holiday for the workers to enable them to exercise their franchise in the election.
- In case of an employee working outside his concerned Parliamentary Constituency and/ or Assembly Constituency and when the date of Poll has not been declared as holiday in his place of work as tabled in Para-1 above, he/she shall be permitted to caste his/her vote by way of allowing special leave on that date.
- 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 in Para-3and Para-4 above.
- The days before the respective dates of poll being the dates of dispatch shall be declared as local holiday for the Educational Institutions/ Government Offices etc., which will be used as Polling Station/ Sector Office/ Distribution-cum-Receiving Centre or for any other election related purpose, situated within the respective Parliamentary Constituency/ Assembly Constituency, except the days on 12/05/2024 and 19/05/2024 as the same being Sunday, are public holidays under N. I. Act, 1881.
- If the poll process continues up to late hours on the poll date(s) resulting in the late release of Polling Personnel from Reception Centres rendering it difficult for them to attend office in time next day, special leave may be allowed on the following day of the date of poll scheduled in Col. (2) of the TABLE in Para-1 to such employees who will be deployed for polling duties for that day in consideration of the situation stated above.
Sd/- Dr. Manoj Pant
Additional Chief Secretary to the
Government of West Bengal