Public Holiday for West Bengal Legislative Assembly Election, 2016
General Election to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly – 2016 to be held on 4th, 11th, 17th, 21st, 25th, 30th April 2016, and 5th May, 2016 in different Assembly Constituencies.
Government of West Bengal
Finance (Audit) Department
Nabanna, Howrah.
No. 1682-F(P) Date: 22.03.2016
In view of the General Election to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly – 2016 to be held on 4th, 11th, 17th, 21st, 25th, 30th April 2016, and 5th May, 2016 in different Assembly Constituencies, the Governor is hereby pleased to declare the days as public holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 for ongoing General Election to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly as follows:
| Phase | Date of poll | Districts involved | Assembly Constituency numbers | Holiday under NI Act |
| PHASE-1(a) (18 Assembly Constituencies) | 04-04-2016 (MONDAY) | Part of Paschim Medinipur, Purulia, part of Bankura | 220 to 222, 234, 236 to 246, 249 to 251 | 04-04-2016 (MONDAY) |
| PHASE -1 (b) (31 Assembly Constituencies) | 11-04-2016 (MONDAY) | Part of Paschim Medinipur, Part of Bankura, Part of Burdwan, | 219, 223 to 233, 235, 247 to 248, 252 to 258, 275 to 283. | 11-04-2016 (MONDAY) |
| PHASE – 2 (56 Assembly Constituencies) | 17-04-2016 (SUNDAY) | Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Malda, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur, Alipurduar, Birbhum, | 10 to 54, 284 to 294 | 17-04-2016 (SUNDAY) (the same is already a holiday as per the Act. ibid.) |
| PHASE 3 (62 Assembly Constituencies) | 21-04-2016 (THURSDAY) | Part of Burdwan, Murshidabad, Nadia, Part of Kolkata, | 55 to 93, 162 to 168, 259 to 274. | 21-04-2016 (THURSDAY) |
| PHASE – 4 (49 Assembly Constituencies) | 25-04-2016 (MONDAY) | North 24 Parganas, Howrah | 94 to 126, 169 to 184 | 25-04-2016 (MONDAY) |
| Phase – 5 (53 Assembly Constituencies) | 30-04-2016 (SATURDAY) | South 24 Parganas, Part of Kolkata, Hooghly, | 127 to 161, 185 to 202 | 30-04-2016 (SATURDAY) |
| Phase-6 (25 Assembly Constituencies) | 05-05-2016 (THURSDAY) | Coochbihar, Purba Medinipur | 1 to 9, 203 to 218 | 05-05-2016 (THURSDAY) |
All Government offices, Organisations under it, Undertakings, Corporations, Boards, Statutory and Local Bodies, Educational Institutions, etc. situated within the Assembly Constituency will remain closed on the respective dates, so that every employee is able to exercise his/her right of franchise in the election.
2. The Labour Department will issue suitable instructions to shops, commercial and industrial establishments including Tea Gardens to declare the said dates for the concerned Assembly Constituency as paid holiday for the workers to exercise their franchise in the election.
3. In case of an employee working outside the concerned Assembly Constituency and when the date of poll has not been declared as holiday there as in Para 1 above, he/she shall permitted to cast his/her vote by way of special leave.
4. In case of re-poll, the employees/workers shall be allowed to cast their votes on the date of re-poll in the manner as in para-3 above.
5. The days before the date of polls being the date of dispatch are hereby declared as local holiday for the Educational Institutions situated within the respective Assembly Constituency excepting 3.4.2016, 10.4.2016 and 24.4.2016 which are already holidays under NI Act.
6. If the poll process continue up to late hours in the nights of poll days as stated in para 1 above, the polling parties may obtain their release from their reception centres in the small hours of the morning (or even afterwards) of 5th April 2016, 12th April 2016, 18th April 2016, 22nd April 2016, 26th April and 6th May 2016 rendering it difficult for them to attend office in time. In consideration of this situation, special leave may be allowed for 5th April 2016, 12th April 2016, 18th April 2016, 22nd April 2016, 26th April 2016 and 6th May 2016 as the case may be to the officers and employees who will be deployed for polling duties.
Sd/- A. K. Das
O.S.D & E.O. Joint Secretary to the
Government of West Bengal