3.2 No substitute holiday should be allowed if any of the festival holidays initially declared subsequently happens to fall on a weekly off or any other non-working day or in the event of more than one festival falling on the same day.

4. The list of Restricted Holidays appended to this O.M. is meant for Central Government Offices located in Delhi I New Delhi. The Coordination Committees at the State Capitals may draw up separate list of Restricted Holidays keeping in view the occasions of local importance but the 9 occasions left over (indicated in para 3.1), after choosing the 3 variable holidays in para 3.1 above, are to be included in the list of restricted holidays.

5.1 For offices in Delhi / New Delhi, any change in the date of holidays in respect of Idu’l Fitr, ldu’l Zuha, Muharram and ld-e-Milad, if necessary, depending upon sighting of the Moon, would be declared by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions after ascertaining the position from the Govt. of NCT of Delhi (DCP, Special Branch, Delhi Police).

5.2 For offices outside Delhi / New Delhi, the Central Government Employees’ Welfare Coordination Committees at the State Capitals are authorised to change the date of holiday, if necessary, based on the decision of the concerned State Governments / Union Territories, in respect of ldu’l Fitr, ldu’l Zuha, Muharram and ld-e-Milad.

5.3 It may happen that the change of date of the above occasions has to be declared at a very short notice. In such a situation, announcement could be made through P.l.BJT.V./A.l.R./ Newspapers and the Heads of Department / Offices of the Central Government may take action according to such an announcement without waiting for a formal order, about the change of date.

6. In 2019, Diwali (Deepavali) falls on Sunday, October 27, 2019 (Kartika 05). In certain States, the practice is to celebrate the occasion a day in advance, i.e., on “Naraka Chaturdasi Day”. In view of this, there is no objection if holiday on account of Deepavali is observed on “Naraka Chaturdasi Day (in place of Deepavali Day) for the Central Government Offices in a State if in that State that day alone is declared as a compulsory holiday for Diwali for the offices of the State Government.

7. Central Government Organisations which include industrial, commercial and trading establishments would observe upto 16 holidays in a year including three national holidays viz. Republic Day, Independence Day and Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday, as compulsory holidays. The remaining holidays I occasions may be determined by such establishments I organisations themselves for the year 2019, subject to pare 3.2 above.