KMC withdraws notice replacing Vishwakarma Puja holiday with Eid-ul-Fitr, issues showcause to official.
Kolkata: Trinamul Congress-run Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), which is headed by mayor and West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim, faced a huge controversy after it issued a notice that replaced Vishwakarma Puja holiday with Eid-ul-Fitr holiday making it a two-day break at Hindi-medium schools in the city. As the notice went viral triggering an uproar, the KMC cancelled it and served a showcause notice to its official who was behind it.
The controversial notice, issued by chief manager of the KMC education department Siddhartha Shankar Dhara on Tuesday, stated, “In partial notification of the existing Holiday List 2025 for Hindi Medium KMCP Schools are hereby informed that the rectifications in the holiday are as follows: 1. Eid-ul-Fitar holiday will be for two days from 31.03.2025 to 01.04.2025. 2. There will be no holiday for Biswakarma Puja on 17.09.2025 as one day from its allocated holiday has been adjusted to extend the Eid-ul-Fitar holiday.”
Later, KMC Municipal Commissioner Dhaval Jain said in a statement, “It has come to the notice of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) that a memorandum (Memo No. 025/KMC/Edn/2025, dated 25.02.2025) regarding the holiday list for Hindi Medium KMCP Schools was issued without obtaining any concurrence from the competent authority of KМС.”
He elaborated, “A Corrigendum (Memo No. 026/KMC/Edn/2025, dated 25.02.2025) was issued immediately cancelling the original memorandum that had typographical mistakes. KMC clarifies that the original memorandum (Memo No. 025/KMC/Edn/2025, dated 25.02.2025) stands cancelled as it was issued without KMC authority's permission.”
Mr Jain added, “The matter has been taken seriously, and necessary action is being initiated against the officer responsible for this lapse. A revised and accurate order will be issued in due course maintaining the State Government's Holiday List as per extant norm. We request everyone to refrain from any speculation or spreading any misinformation.”
Mr Jain also served Mr Dhara a showcause notice which stated, "Whereas your issuing notice altering the list of holidays is not in alignment with the declared list of holidays of this Corporation is treated as an undesirable act leading to spreading misinformation." Mr Dhara has been asked to submit his explanation within three days.
