West Bengal hikes number of public holidays in 2023 

From next year, people of the State will get an additional holiday during Durga Puja festivities 

The number of public holidays continues to climb up in West Bengal, as people will get to stay home for an additional day during Durga Puja in 2023.

In a recently released list, the State government announced 46 holidays for next year, including one (the birthday of poet Bhanu Bhakt) that will be observed only in Darjeeling and Kalimpong. In 2022, 11 public holidays fell on a Sunday. However, in 2023 State government employees and students will have more non-Sunday holidays throughout the year.

In fact, 2023 will be the first time when people of West Bengal will get to fully benefit from the holiday largesse that was handed out by the Trinamool Congress government to the people exactly three years ago. At the time, with an eye on the Assembly elections scheduled for 2021, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, often accused by her adversaries of being partial to Muslims, had doubled the number of holidays given for several Hindu festivals. However with the pandemic, the gesture was in vain as people were stranded at home anyway.

Next year will see the most number of Durga Puja holidays in the State’s history. During the nine-day period dedicated to the goddess countrywide every autumn, Bengal traditionally celebrates Durga Puja from the sixth day. But in 2023, the holidays start from the fourth day onwards. General elections, too, are due in 2024.

“Until not very long ago, we had holidays only from the seventh day onwards. But at this rate, the day doesn’t seem to be far when holidays will begin right from Mahalaya (which marks the beginning of the nine-day period). If the Chief Minister can inaugurate pandals on Mahalaya, why can’t there be holidays from Mahalaya?” a bureaucrat remarked.

As a result of these holidays, the month of October in 2023 will have only 13 working days and November only 16. Three years ago, the State government not only doubled the number of holidays for popular Bengali festivals but also for Chhath, which is celebrated by those hailing from Bihar in the State. It also announced closures during Shivaratri and Janmashtami, which are more popular in north India than in Bengal.