Ram temple ceremony: Jharkhand declares holiday for govt schools, half-day office on Monday

NEW DELHI: Jharkhand has declared a holiday for government schools on Monday, while its offices, other establishments and public sector banks will remain closed for half a day on the occasion of the Ram temple consecration. The decision was taken following a direction from Chief Minister Hemant Soren in this regard, an official said.

All government offices in Jharkhand will be closed till 2:30 pm on Monday, and schools will remain shut for the whole day in view of the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, according to a notification issued by the department of personnel and administrative reforms.

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The Jharkhand BJP had on January 18 urged the Hemant Soren-led government to declare January 22 as a state holiday to commemorate the occasion. In a letter to the chief minister, Leader of the Opposition in Jharkhand Assembly Amar Kumar Bauri had requested Soren to honour Lord Ram by declaring January 22 as a state holiday.