February 24: The government is making preparations to open essential government offices on public holidays other than Saturdays. Following widespread complaints that there were too many public holidays, the cabinet meeting held on Thursday discussed about opening essential offices on public holidays as well.

According to the information shared by a cabinet minister, the government is planning to give additional facilities or some other arrangements to the government employees who work on public holidays.

The government is preparing to open the Department of Passport, Department of Foreign Employment, district administration offices under the Ministry of Home Affairs, hospitals, banks, police stations, etc open on public holidays.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal was criticized after declaring public holidays on February 13 on the occasion of People’s War Day. The government announced holiday on February 13 within a few days after PM Dahal publicly said there were too many public holidays.

The Dahal-led government has already given three days of additional public holidays within two months.

The government announced a public holiday to mourn the day after the plane crash of Yeti Airlines in Pokhara on January 15. Before that, to please the ruling partner Rastriya Prajatantra Party, the government announced a holiday saying that Prithvi Jayanti would be celebrated on January 11 as the National Unity Day.

Now, instead of reducing public holidays, the government is preparing to open some offices on holidays. Some have understood this as a diplomatic move by Dahal to avoid criticism.