Koshi Province Government Prepares to Revert to 6-Day Work Week

Biratnagar. The Koshi Province government is preparing to reinstate the previous system of a 6-day work week for its ministries and subordinate offices. The government is moving forward with this plan after concluding that the system of giving two days off per week (Saturday and Sunday) to reduce petroleum consumption was not effective.

Koshi Province Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki stated on social media, seeking public suggestions, that the two-day holiday policy has not yielded the expected results.

"How would it be if the Koshi Province government made the work week 6 days (with only Saturday as a holiday, as before) for its ministries and subordinate offices? Working only 5 days a week is not enough for workdays, and the savings in expenses and fuel have not shown significant results. Please provide your suggestions!" Chief Minister Karki wrote.

The decision to give public holidays on Saturdays and Sundays was implemented starting March 22, immediately after the formation of the government led by Balen Shah, following an increase in international petroleum prices and supply disruptions.

This rule was an attempt to implement it nationwide with the main objective of reducing fuel consumption and administrative costs. After this system was implemented, although some local levels rejected it and operated offices according to the previous system, most government offices and local levels followed it.

However, this policy has been criticized because it has caused hardship to service recipients, slowed down government work, and has not shown any significant change in the intended saving of fuel and administrative costs due to the two-day holiday.

With Chief Minister Karki seeking suggestions from citizens and stakeholders through Facebook, the possibility of cutting down the two-day holiday in Koshi Province has become stronger. The general public and experts are also giving positive feedback to the Chief Minister's initiative, stating that the two-day holiday has severely affected public service delivery.

Sources indicate that the Koshi Province Council of Ministers may make a formal decision on this matter in its upcoming meeting. If this decision is made, Koshi Province will reverse the two-day holiday policy and return to the 6-day work schedule.