This is not for the first time that Mamata Banerjee has decided to make the celebrations official
Married men employed by the West Bengal government have just got a bonus. A half-day holiday on 19 June on the occasion of
Jamai Shashti which - like Mothers and Fathers and Valentine's Day - the quaint Bengali celebration of the Son-in-Law's Day or the Day of the
Damaad.
This is not for the first time that Mamata Banerjee has decided to make the celebrations official. Since 2013, her government has been giving all its employees a half-day off on this day. The first time it was announced, the state's top bureaucrats were taken aback.
In six years, it has become a routine perk.
The half-day holiday order by the finance department says, "On occasion of
Jamai Sashti which falls on 19th June this year, the governor has been pleased to declare that all State Government offices, Urban and Rural Bodies, Corporations, Undertakings, Educational institutions and other offices institutions under the control of Government of West Bengal...shall be closed at 2:00 pm."
There are exceptions. No half-day off for the Offices of the Registrar of Assurances, Kolkata, the Collector of Stamp Revenue, Kolkata and the West Bengal State Beverages Corporation Ltd. The last -- the Beverages Corporation -- is the new found government outfit that has taken over the distribution of alcohol from private distributors last year.
This notification did cause some sceptics to pause and double check. On Saturday, the police had to issue a clarification clarification about a fake notification that looked like the real thing went viral claiming that the state government had declared a holiday for Eid from June 12 to 16.
The fake notice read, "In order to celebrate Eid festival, which falls on 12 June to 15 June, 2018, in a befitting manner, the Governor is pleased to declare State Government holiday on 12 to 15 June, 2018, in addition to 16 June, 2018 which has already been notified as a public holiday."
"Those who have masterminded this (fake notification) will be strictly deat with as per law," the Kolkata Police clarification said.
The police received several queries today after the half-day holiday notice became public around 2 pm. Though issued in the name of the Governor, as is routine, there was more confusion because at least some sections of the governor's office was not aware of the holiday notice.