Mohan Majhi Govt says no to celebration of New Year on office premises

 The Bharatiya Janata Party Government has instructed not to celebrate New Year on government office premises on January 1 since it is a working day.

A Chief Minister’s Office statement says since the day is a government working day, normal work will continue in all State Government offices and it has been advised that government offices should not, in any manner, be used as venues for celebrating the English New Year.

“Except for personal, courtesy-based exchanges, all forms of celebrations, gatherings, feasts and parties within the premises of State Government offices are completely prohibited,” it maintains.

Going a step further, the government directed all heads of offices and institutions to strictly ensure compliance of prohibition on partying on official campus.

However, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has conveyed his heartfelt greetings and congratulations to everyone.

“As the day will be a regular government working day, the Chief Minister’s Office will function as on a normal working day. Therefore, it is requested that no one should come in person to extend English New Year greetings or congratulations to the Chief Minister or to officers of the Chief Minister’s Office,” says the communication.

Earlier, politicians across parties, government employees’ associations, students and the general public would line up to greet former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on New Year’s Day. Previous government had sometime stopped New Year celebrations depending on any tragic incidents around  that time.

Employee groups were also seen presenting flower bouquets to departmental secretaries on the occasion. With offices in a celebratory mode, working days often resembled official holidays, and routine administrative work was reportedly stalled. There were also instances of corporate liaison officers and vested interest groups using the occasion to present expensive gifts to key ministers and senior government officials.