PIL seeks declaration of only Sundays as weekend holidays

MADURAI: A PIL seeking to declare only Sundays as "weekend holidays" and strictly implement the Central Pay commission's recommendations abolishing gazetted holidays had been filed in the Madras High court bench here.

Justice N.Kirubakaran and Justice S.Vaidhyanathan admitted the PIL and reserved interim Orders.

The petitioner, S.Ilamuhil, also sought increase of restricted holidays from two to eight days as recommended by the Pay Commission.

He submitted that the government offices worked only for 196 days in a year. Besides, whenever there was election, the government servants were pressed into election work. This affected people, he contended.

In western countries, the population was thin and the complaints of the people were redressed in a speedy manner and relief delivered at doorsteps and so it was enough if they worked only five days there, he said."It is not so in our country where thousands of petitions seeking patta transfer, driving licence etc., were pending for years."

The central pay commission recommended that government offices should remain closed only on three national holidays, and all other gazetted holidays should be abolished and the number of restricted holidays should be increased from two to eight days.