Odisha Urban Polls: Employees to Get Paid Holidays to Cast Votes

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government has ordered to grant paid holidays to the employees of different departments on the date of the poll to cast their votes in the ensuing urban local body elections in the State.

The Labour and ESI Department wrote to the Revenue Divisional Commissioners, Collectors, Public sector undertakings, Corporations, Establishments, Business, Trade, and Industrial Undertakings in this regard.
To facilitate voters to exercise their franchise, the SEC has recommended that every person employed in any business, trade, industrial undertakings or any other establishment willing to vote in the ensuing civil body polls will be granted paid holiday on the date of polling, the letter stated.

“All business, trade, industrial undertakings and establishments are instructed to grant paid holiday to their employees on the date of polling. Any violation of the above instruction will be treated as an offence,” the letter reads.

The elections to 110 ULBs including 48 Municipalities, 59 Notified Area Councils (NACs), and three Municipal Corporations will be held on March 24.