Replace Public Holidays with Awareness Programmes on Birth Anniversaries, MLC writes to Karnataka CM

Withdraw public holidays on birth anniversaries of renowned personalities and spread awareness about their achievements instead, MLC Lahar Singh Siroya has written to Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy.

"In Karnataka, there is a public holiday for Mahavir Jayanthi, Basava Jayanthi, Valmiki Jayanthi, Kanakadasa Jayanthi and many other birth anniversaries of renowned personalities. While the government pays respects to these personalities, there is no meaningful form of paying respects from the public,” wrote Siroya in the letter.

“Most of them have no opportunity to understand the contribution of these personalities to the society, their place in history and their sacrifices".

"Hence, I request you to withdraw the holidays that cause an inconvenience to the common public and the poor and organise awareness programs in government departments, schools and colleges to inform people of these personalities and their contributions," he added.

In October, Social Welfare minister Priyank Kharge also recommended reducing the number of public holidays while mooting the idea of a five-day week for state government employees, similar to central government employees. Kharge had suggested reducing the public holidays to compensate for the increase in the weekly holidays.

"The government announces holidays for many jayanthis and festivals cutting down the number of working days. These public holidays can be replaced with restricted holidays. We revere all of those personalities. But we are giving holidays for those who worked all their lives,” he had said.