Chandigarh: The Haryana government has announced to change a gazetted holiday into a restricted holiday on the occasion of Eid as Monday - May 31 – as it is the closing day of the financial year.
The government notification issued in the regard read: ``In partial modification of the government notification issued vide even number dated 26.12.2024, it is notified that Eid-ul-Fitr, i.e. 31st March 2025, shall be observed as a Restricted Holiday (Schedule-II) instead of a Gazetted Holiday, due to the fact that 29th and 30th March 2025 are weekend off days and 31st March being the closing day of the Financial Year 2024-2025’’.
Pertinently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which had earlier declared a bank holiday on March 31, has also cancelled the holiday as it is the last day of the financial year.
For record, a restricted holiday for government employees is an optional holiday that they can decide whether they want to take or not, while a gazetted holiday is a mandatory public holiday during which government offices, banks and government institutions remain closed.
CONG PROTESTS IN HOUSE
Meanwhile, led by senior Congress leader and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, party MLA protested against the ruling BJP government’s decision to change the gazetted holiday to a restricted holiday, during the ongoing budget session of the Haryana assembly.
While Congress MLAs including Aftab Ahmed and Mamman Khan objected to the said change saying that it was the biggest festival for the Muslims, Hooda objected to it stating that it was a holiday everywhere else.
However, replying to the objections of the Congress members, chief minister Nayab Saini asked them not to make a political issue in the context as the change was made because of said reason.
