Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, April 24:

After over five years, the government officials in Kathmandu attended offices on Sunday ten o’clock, today, after a one-day weekend. Today was the first Sunday when the government offices in Kathmandu valley opened after the government changed its earlier decision which had declared Saturdays and Sundays as public holidays with effect from mid-August 1999 in the three districts of the Kathmandu valley. The first working Sunday passed as any other day at the government offices in the valley. Though the government had decided to open offices on Sundays with effect from mid-April 2005, the first Sunday happened to be a public holiday.

One of the most happening government office of the city the Kathmandu District Administration Office saw the numbers of visitors as any other working day. Assistant Chief District Officer of the DAO Taranath Gautam said there was no difference in the number of people visiting the DAO today. “Even if you open offices on Saturdays the number of people will not go down,” he said, adding, people should be provided with the service they are in need of. Gautam was busy till the last minute of his duty today.

One Hari Maya Limbu, who came at the DAO for getting a passport issued, said, the government’s decision to open offices on Sundays in the valley was very good and suggested that the government should also think of extending shifts in offices which are most crowded, like the DAO. She, however, expressed deep concern over the attitude of the employees to create unnecessary hassles which has not changed yet. Another Toya Nath Luitel of Okhaldhunga said he could submit form for the passport today and therefore he would get it issued by Friday. “Closing offices on Sundays was an unjust decision imposed to the people by the government. While the people in other part of the country got their works done in the government offices on Sundays, people in Kathmandu had to wait for Mondays,” a visitor who did not want to be named and had come to the DAO in connection to a criminal case said.

Meanwhile, it was a normal office day in the Bhaktapur municipality office because the municipality had not implemented the decision of two-day weekend.