Kolkata, 13 November (H.S.) : Following the principle of less talk and more work, the new government of West Bengal is preparing to restore the work culture in the state. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has already made it clear on several occasions that employees will have to focus on work for the development of the state. Taking a step in this direction, the state government is considering increasing working days by reducing the number of government holidays. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister has made a strong remark that the entire state has gone into hibernation due to continuous holidays.

Government offices opened on Friday after the Kali Puja and Bhai Dooj holidays. Addressing a press conference at the state secretariat Nabanna on the same day, the Chief Minister stated that work is underway to prepare the calendar of government holidays for the upcoming year in the state, and it will be published soon. Generally, the holiday calendar for the next year is released in the month of December. The Chief Minister's comment on government holidays just before the calendar's release is considered quite significant.

Currently, the number of government holidays in the state is around 50 days, while in 2025, this number exceeded 50. Every year, the Finance Department prepares this list of holidays. According to sources, initially, a draft list of 45 days of holidays was provided by the Finance Department, but now the government is considering reducing it to 40 days. Although it has not yet been finally decided which holidays will be removed from the old list, it is believed that the additional holidays given in conjunction with the main festivals may be cancelled.

Sources in the state administration say that a section of top officials also believes that over the past 15 years, some government holidays have been introduced that are actually unnecessary. Targeting the previous government on this issue on Friday, the Chief Minister said that the previous government thought that they did not have to give Dearness Allowance (DA) nor implement the Pay Commission, so less work should be done so that fewer files are submitted.

It is noteworthy that during the tenure of the previous Trinamool Congress government, the list of holidays was made quite long on the occasion of various religious and social events as well as the birth anniversaries of eminent personalities. Holidays were given on occasions like Thakur Panchanan Barma's birth anniversary, Shivratri, Shab-e-Barat, Harichand Thakur's birth anniversary, Birsa Munda's birth anniversary, and Karam Puja. In addition, during the Left Front regime, Durga Puja holidays started from Sasthi and government offices would close, opening the day after Lakshmi Puja. But during the Trinamool government, holidays for Durga Puja in state government offices started from Chaturthi.

Previously, there was only a one-day holiday for Kali Puja, which was extended continuously until Bhai Dooj. Similarly, there was no holiday on Jamai Sasthi earlier, but later a half-day holiday was introduced. Chhath Puja, which used to be a sectional holiday for the concerned community only, was declared a public holiday for all. According to government sources, it is with the objective of improving the system and bringing back the work culture that a major reshuffle in the holiday calendar is now being planned.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh