Govt. issues circular on special Friday holiday for 3 months

• All non-essential Govt. offices closed today
• State employees advised to engage in cultivation activities 
• Govt. declares holiday for all schools today amidst fuel shortage, transport difficulties 

Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government Ministry yesterday issued a circular related to modalities of declaring Friday as a special holiday for State sector employees to cultivate.

The Cabinet of Ministers approved the holiday for non-essential public sector workers for three months, after considering the dire shortage and difficulties in sourcing fuel for both public and private transport.

All State institutions will be closed, except for those providing essential services such as water, electricity, health, defence, education, transport, port and airport services on Fridays for the next three months.

State employees will receive the necessary facilities to engage in agricultural activities during the special Friday holiday in their backyards or elsewhere, to overcome the looming food shortage.

Separately, the Government also declared today as a special school holiday, following the fuel shortage and difficulties faced by children with no private or public transport available.