Odisha Panchayat Polls: State govt to grant paid holidays to employees

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has instructed to grant paid holidays to the employees of various departments on the date of the poll to cast their votes in the upcoming three-tier Panchayat elections.

Reportedly, the Labour department has written a letter to the Revenue Divisional Commissioners, Collectors, Public sector undertakings, Corporations, Establishments, Business, Trade, and Industrial Undertakings.

“The State Election Commission has directed that every person employed in any business, trade, industrial undertaking or any other establishment and desiring to vote in the said election shall be granted paid holiday on the date of poll,” the Labour Department said in its order.

The employees can avail the benefit by submitting a written application which will be sufficient to show their enrollment in a particular Gram Panchayat.

“Any violation of the above instruction will be treated as an offence,” it added.