Kathmandu, April 14

The Ministry of Home Affairs has fixed the number of public holidays other than Saturdays for the year 2077 BS.

Public holidays will be applicable for the government offices from Baishakh 1 (April 13, 2020) to Chaitra 30 (April 13, 2021).

According to a notice published by the MoHA, the country will have 37 public holidays in addition to 52 Saturdays. Of the  37 holidays, 15 public holidays will extend throughout the country for all, while others will be granted to people or groups belonging to the concerned religions, cultures, geographical regions and districts.

The public holidays that are applicable for all are: New Year day, Mahashivaratri, Holi, Dashain (five days), Tihar (three days), May Day, Constitution Day, International Women’s Day and Buddha Jayanti.

Festival holidays for Ubhauli, Gaura Parva, Eid ulFitr, Chhath, Bakra Eid, Christmas, Tamu Lhosar, Maghe Sankranti, Sonam Lhosar, Gyalpo Lhosar, Sirwa Pawani and Dawathambu Chheuchik will be granted to people or groups from the concerned communities and religions.

Only women will be entitled to public holidays on Teej and Jitiya Parva. There will be public holidays on Basant Panchami for educational institutions, whereas four holidays (Gai Jatra, Indra Jatra, Matsyendranath Festival and Ghode Jatra) are meant only for Kathmandu valley. Similarly, Kirant community and Sikh community will get public holiday for celebration of Falgunananda Jayanti and Guru Nanak Jayanti, respectively.

According to the MoHA, the government will also celebrate Republic Day, National Day for Elimination of Caste-based Discrimination and Untouchability, Civil Service Day, National Unity Day, Martyr’s Day and National Democracy Day throughout the country without shutting down government offices.

Employees associated with emergency and essential services such as hospitals, ropeways, police, immigration, prisons, fire brigade, Radio Nepal, Nepal Television, press, postal offices and telecommunications, may take leave in lieu as they are required to provide service even during public holidays, the MoHA said.

Likewise, the provincial governments may declare public holidays for up to six days a year considering their respective religions, cultures and rituals, in addition to those fixed by the federal government. The public holidays will also be applicable for all government offices in the concerned province.

If a province has to declare public holidays for more than six days a year, it must be mandatory to obtain prior approval of the federal government.

However, the power to declare public holiday in Kathmandu valley (Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur) for government offices to mark any festive holidays shall rest with the MoHA. The notice states that the provincial governments can decide on the public holidays to be fixed by them and publish a notice to this effect in the Provincial Gazettte in the beginning of every Nepali New Year.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on April 15, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.