Facing criticism from the Opposition and local trade bodies for declaring a “paid holiday” in Goa on May 10 in view of assembly elections in Karnataka, the Pramod Sawant government in Goa on Tuesday clarified that notifying paid holidays during elections in neighbouring states was a routine affair.
“The electors of Karnataka state were considered as per Section 135-B of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951,” the Goa government said in a statement.
“Section 135-B of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951 states every person employed in any business trade, industrial undertaking, or any other establishment and entitled to vote at an election to the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly of a state shall on the day of the poll be granted a holiday” the statement said.
“Karnataka being the neighbouring state has sizeable electors in the State of Goa – a request was received from the Office of CEO, Karnataka necessitating the declaring of the Paid Holiday on the day of Poll and thus was considered favourably,” the statement added.
The Goa government claimed that even Maharashtra and Karnataka governments in the past have issued similar paid holiday notifications in view of assembly elections in Goa.
“It may be informed that during the General Election to the Legislative Assembly in Goa recently, the Maharashtra government and Karnataka too had issued similar notifications to facilitate the electors of the respective states to exercise their franchise in accordance with the RP Act, 1951,” the Goa government clarification said
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