Nashik: ZP cancels holidays weekends of employees amid strike

The Zilla Parishad (ZP) administration has given instructions to cancel the holidays of all the employees on weekends and other official days, and continue with the work as it fears that the employees' strike will affect the financial year's operations. The Nashik ZP employees are on an indefinite strike over the issue of the old pension scheme.

The employees have expressed their displeasure over the cancellation of holidays.

All the ZP departments are in a rush to spend around Rs 90 crores in the next 16 days. However, considering the time at hand and the working methods of the government system, this proves to be a major challenge. Funds are made available by the government usually on the last day of March and after that the work of preparing a proposal and getting administrative and technical approval, they are started. There is a fear of the funds getting lapsed if the proposals are not prepared on time.

Thus, to avoid this, the ZP administration has directed all the department heads to keep the offices open on Saturdays and Sundays. It is necessary to submit bills to the finance department regarding the Union and state government's housing, 15th Finance Commission, PESA, employment guarantee scheme, district planning committee works, and expenses, and for that. the office should be open on holidays, it was instructed. The attendance of the employees has been made mandatory. Due to this, employees have to be present in the office even on holidays.