SAMBALPUR: Festive joy doubled for residents of Sambalpur and Bargarh on Tuesday after the State government declared an additional holiday in the two districts for the agrarian festival Nuakhai scheduled to be celebrated on September 1.
The Revenue Divisional Commissioner, North declared the day following Nuakhai as a special holiday on the basis of authorisation by joint secretary Madhusmita Sahoo on behalf of the State government.
As per the letter issued by the office of the RDC, the day following Nuakhai (September 2) has been declared a special local holiday in Bargarh and Sambalpur districts.
The demand for a two-day holiday during Nuakhai was raised by several local outfits. Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly Jayanarayan Mishra and Bargarh MP Suresh Pujari had also written to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik requesting him to declare two days of holiday for the Nuakhai festival.
Member of Paschimanchal Peoples’ Forum Sapan Mishra said, “It is a matter of joy for us. The State government has finally declared the day following Nuakhai a holiday. It was a long-standing demand of people.”
Earlier, the RDC had announced a special local holiday in Balangir, Sonepur and Jharsuguda districts besides the Sadar sub-division of Sundargarh. On Monday, the government announced that all banking institutions in Odisha will remain closed on the occasion of Nuakhai.