Pro-Cong employee outfit celebrates ‘onam’ during office hours

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 6 (PTI) Defying a directive fromChief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan not to organise ‘Onam’celebrations during office hours, a pro-Congress employeesoutfit in the State Secretariat held the festivities beyondthe time limit today as a mark of protest. At least five ‘Pookalams’ (floral carpets) were laid atvarious blocks in the Secretariat by the employees. While some managed to finish the laying of carpets by 10AM when the office time began, the pro-opposition KeralaSecretariat Employees Association completed it only by 10.45AM. Association President J Bency said they began laying thefloral carpets at 8 AM and finished it by 10.45 AM. "We will work till 5.45 PM this evening to make up forthe 45 minutes extra we took to lay the carpet," he toldreporters here, adding that the government directive was’unpractical.’ Yesterday, the employees had organised a tug of warcontest during the lunch break. The LDF government had recently issued a directive askingemployees not to participate in ‘Onam’ celebrations duringoffice hours in state-run offices and institutions, which wasslammed by opposition parties and rival service organisations. The official Onam celebrations this year would begin onSeptember 12 and the festivities should be conducted withoutcausing any difficulties to public and affecting operations ofthe office, the Government Order had said. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had stated in a Facebookpost last week that it was not appropriate for Onamfestivities, including laying of pookalams (floral carpets),to be held in government institutions during office hours. He had also suggested that the celebrations could insteadbe held on holidays or after office hours. Opposition Congress-led UDF and BJP had criticised theChief Minister’s direction to regulate Onam festivities. PTIUD ROH APRDV