Reported by Mrinal Banik
Agartala: The Tripura government on Monday officially announced that state government offices will follow a five-day working week from now on.
Offices will remain closed on Saturdays and Sundays. However, the new weekend policy will also come with revised working hours on working days, Minister Sushanta Chowdhury said.
“All government offices in the state will now remain closed on Saturdays and Sundays, effectively introducing a two-day weekend for state employees. The revised arrangement has come into effect immediately,” the Minister, who also serves as the cabinet spokesperson, said.
The minister also said that office timings on working days have been revised. Government offices will now function from 9:30 am to 6 pm, replacing the earlier schedule.
The roster-based work-from-home system for Group C and Group D employees, which was introduced shortly after the Prime Minister’s call for adopting austerity measures, has also been withdrawn.
“As part of austerity measures and considering the prevailing global situation, nearly 75 per cent of government meetings will now be conducted virtually,” he told reporters after the cabinet meeting.
The minister said the state government would also prioritise the purchase and use of electric vehicles as part of its administrative and cost-saving measures.
The cabinet also approved filling 81 vacant posts in the Public Works Department (PWD), Information and Cultural Affairs (ICA) Department, and Finance Department, he said.
Replying to questions on the availability of essential commodities, Chowdhury, who also holds the Food portfolio, said the state currently has adequate stocks of fuel and other essential items.
