AP Government Orders Secretariat Staff to Work During Sankranti Holidays

The Sankranti holiday season has officially started in both Telugu states, and schools have already closed from Saturday. As families prepare to celebrate, a large number of students and employees from Hyderabad began their journey to their hometowns early Saturday morning, causing heavy traffic on the Hyderabad–Vijayawada highway.

While students enjoy their vacation, government employees were also granted an extended break for the festive period. However, the Andhra Pradesh government has issued an unexpected directive that has sparked widespread dissatisfaction among secretariat workers.

Although the state government earlier announced a five-day holiday for government offices for Sankranti, new instructions state that village and ward secretariats must remain functional throughout the festival. Municipal commissioners across various districts have reportedly communicated these instructions to the administrative secretaries—both through official memos and verbal orders.

According to these directives, each ward secretariat must have at least one staff member on duty every single day, including weekends and festival days. Authorities have also cautioned that failure to comply will lead to disciplinary action.

This decision has drawn significant criticism from employees' unions representing village and ward secretariat staff. Their primary concern is that those reporting to duty during holidays are not being compensated with compensatory leave on regular working days. Union leaders argue that expecting employees to work during a major festival—without offering alternative time off—is unfair and places unnecessary pressure on the staff.

Several employees have voiced that this move undermines work–life balance and shows little consideration for festival traditions. They are urging the state government to revisit the decision and ensure that workers are treated fairly.

As of now, the government has not responded to the concerns raised by the unions, but employees hope for a more balanced and worker-friendly resolution.