KATHMANDU, Jan 4: A taskforce formed by the government has proposed adding 13 public holidays for the year 2076 BS on various religious and ethnic festivals. There are already 89 public holidays in a year.
The task force has proposed three public holidays each for various festivals of the Sherpa and Muslim communities. It has recommended that Tamu Lhosar, Sonam Lhosar and Gyalbo Lhosar as well as Eid-al-Fitr, Bakar Eid and Mohammad Day be declared public holidays.
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Likewise Ubhauli and Duhauli festivals of the Kirant community have also been recommended public holidays. Upon the recommendations from religious and ethnic communities concerned, the task force proposed public holiday on Christmas Day, Chhath, Maghi and Janai Purnima. However the task force comprising Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Rabindra Adhikari, Urban Development Minister Istiyak Rai and Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa has proposed public holiday only for women on Rishi Panchami.
The decision of the task force comes amid protests by different ethnic and religious groups after the government slashed festival holidays.
Earlier, the government had decided to bring down the number of annual public holidays to 89 from 104 apparently to increase working days to ‘help realize the goal of prosperous Nepal’.
If the cabinet approved the new holiday proposal, it will take the number of annual public holidays to 102 next year.
