Centre gives in to Sasikala's demand, decalres Pongal as compulsory holiday

Pongal was among the 12 holidays that the Centre considered as optional.

Chennai: The Narendra Modi-led government on Tuesday included the Pongal festival day in the list of compulsory holiday after declared the day of Pongal festival as a compulsory holiday after AIADMK general secretary Sasikala Natarajan wrote to the Centre on the issue.

Urging the central govenment to roll back the announcement of Pongal as Restricted holiday, Sasikala said that Centre's reported move to convert the holiday given for Pongal festival into restricted one from compulsory has come as a big shock.

"It comes as a big shock that Pongal festival, which was a compulsory holiday for the central government employees in Tamil Nadu, has been made restricted holiday," she said in a statement.

Pongal is a cultural festival being celebrated for long transcending caste and religious feelings and it is the Centre's duty to provide a holiday for the families to celebrate it, she said.

Though Pongal falls on Saturday, on January 14 this year, the Centre should respect the festival and provide holiday to all central departments, she added.

"The Centre should realise and accept the rights and feelings of Tamils and give compulsory holiday for Pongal," she said.

Sasikala said due to the efforts of late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa many rights of Tamils were upheld and the state is now waiting for the Centre to meet its expectations and ensure its rights in this matter, she added.

Earlier today, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam wrote to the Prime Minister requesting that Pongal be included in the list of Compulsory Holidays to be observed by all Central Government Administrative offices in Tamil Nadu.

 The CM requested that just as the government of India's circular relating to list of 12 optional holidays from which three are to be selected includes an 'Additional day for Dusshera', an 'Additional day for Pongal' may also be included in the list of optional holidays.

The Chief Minister referred to a Centre's notification of a list of holidays, in which 14 days are categorised 'compulsory holidays', and further three holidays from a list of 12 optional holidays are to be notified by the Central Government Employees Welfare Co-ordination Committee in different State Capitals. 

He pointed out that Pongal was among in the list of 12 optional holidays, which meant Pongal was not a compulsory holiday for Central Government offices in Tamil Nadu.