5-day week for Manipur govt offices from April 1

The working hours from Monday to Friday for all government offices in Manipur will be from 9am to 5.30pm during the summer season (March to October) and for winter (November to February), it will be from 9am to 5pm.

IMPHAL: In pursuance to chief minister N Biren Singh-chaired cabinet’s decision taken on March 22, the governor of Manipur has declared a five-day working week (Monday to Friday) for all offices, agencies, bodies and public sector undertakings (PSU) under the state government, except vacation departments, with effect from April 1.

Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh said the 5-day week system will improve the ‘work-life’ balance of employees. (File/HT Photo)

A notification signed by deputy secretary to the government of Manipur, Sunanda Thokchom, was issued in this regard on Saturday.

According to the notification, the working hours from Monday to Friday for all offices, agencies, bodies and PSUs under the state government of Manipur will be from 9am to 5.30pm for summer (March to October). For winter (November to February), the working hours will be from 9am to 5pm, the notification said. There will be a lunch break from 1 pm to 1.30 pm both in the summer and winter seasons.

“Further, school hours will start at 8 am in all state government/aided/private schools across the state from Monday to Saturday,” it said. “The Department of Education (Schools) will decide and fix the length of school hours separately for various levels.”

The state Chief Minister N Biren Singh, while announcing his government’s 100 action points to be taken up during its first 100 days in office on Saturday, said the government will adopt five-day week (i.e., Monday to Friday) to bring it in alignment with the central government offices.

“This will improve the ‘work-life’ balance of employees. Office timings will be increased and adjusted with school timings for smooth commute,” said Biren Singh, who was sworn in as the Chief Minister of the state for the second term on March 21 after being unanimously elected as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) legislature leader on March 20.

In the recently concluded 12th Manipur assembly elections, the BJP emerged as the winner with an absolute majority by bagging 32 of the 60 seats while the National People’s Party (NPP), an ally of the BJP in the previous government, became the second largest party with 7 seats. The Janata Dal (United), or JD(U) got 6 seats while opposition Congress and Naga People’s Front (NPF), another BJP ally, secured 5 seats each. A newly floated Kuki People’s Alliance (NPA) bagged two seats while 3 Independents also won in the elections.