Kathmandu, May 19

The Government of Nepal has said that the provincial governments may declare public holidays for up to six days a year considering their respective religions, culture and rituals, in addition to those fixed by the federal government.

According to a notice published by the Ministry of Home Affairs in the Nepal Gazette last week, the public holidays shall also be applicable to all government offices of the concerned provinces. “If a province has to declare public holiday for more than six days a year, it shall be mandatory to obtain prior approval of the federal government,” reads the notice.

However, the power to declare public holidays in Kathmandu valley (Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur) for government offices to mark any festive holidays shall rest with the MoHA. The notice said that provincial governments shall have to decide on the public holidays to be fixed by them and publish in the Provincial Gazette in the beginning of every Nepali new year.

The MoHA had fixed 15 public holidays other than 52 Saturdays for the Nepali year 2076. There will be public holidays for five days during Dashain and three days during Tihar. Other public holidays include Nepali New Year day, Buddha Jayanti, Mahashivaratri, Holi, International Workers’ Day, Constitution Day and International Women’s Day.