This Weekend is for Parents, In-Laws of Assam: Special Leaves for Govt Staffers from Tomorrow

The New Year has brought some cheer to the government employees of Assam who have been given the “gift” of two “special casual leaves” (January 6-7), which could be clubbed together with the weekend, by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma so that they could spend quality time with their parents and in-laws. The only caveat, the staff would have to upload the pictures of the time being spent with their parents or in-laws on the government website.

Besides the special leaves, the employees will also enjoy three days of Bihu holidays starting January 13.

“To uphold ancient Indian values, I urge Assam government employees to spend quality time with their parents/in-laws on January 6 and 7 designated as special holidays. I request them to rededicate themselves to the cause of building a new Assam and new India with blessings of their parents,” Sarma tweeted on January 2.

The Assam general administration department’s notification read, “The Assam government is pleased to allow state government employees to avail casual leave on January 6 and 7, 2022, suffixing the two holidays, the 8th and 9th of January 2022, being the 2nd Saturday and Sunday, so as to enable them to spend the aforesaid days with their living parents and parents-in-law.”

The state government has also allowed ministers and all employees from the fourth grade to top civil service officers to spend time with their parents and in-laws during this time. Earlier, the Assam cabinet had decided on November 24 that all government employees would get a four-day leave to meet their parents in January.

Lakhi Goswami, a teacher, in Upper Tani High School in Kamrup rural district, said she has booked her tickets for a “long pending trip to Majuli”. She said her mother-in-law is “more overwhelmed than I”. “I don’t have my own parents and my father-in-law too left us a couple of years ago… Keeping them happy and healthy is our responsibility and this special casual leave helps in fulfilment of these responsibilities. A great salute to the chief minister.”

Pallavi Kachary, ACS, ADC Darrang, Assam, hailed the new initiative by the Assam government and said, “Being in civil service, I hardly get time to spend with my parents, who are taking care of my children in my absence. If I avail these two days of special casual leave, I intend to be with my parents, tending to their needs such as medical, visit to relatives’ home.”

The chief minister said the idea behind the initiative is that the employees spend time with their parents or in-laws in the new year, “seek their blessings and are inspired to work for the state sincerely throughout the year.” He also said those whose parents or in-laws are dead cannot avail this leave while those with their parents staying with them can use it and take them for a holiday.

Making the leave more inviting, the state government is planning to provide financial assistance to the employees for their stay with their parents during the special holiday from the next year.

The ‘PRANAM Act’ in Assam makes it mandatory for the state government employees to look after their parents and unmarried differently-abled siblings who do not have their own sources of income. If the PRANAM commission gets a complaint that parents of a state government employee are being ignored, then the government will deduct 10% to 15% of their salary and give that amount to their parents or the siblings.

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