Nitish gifts Bihar 5-day work week

New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's vision for a 'new Bihar' also stipulates an efficient and proactive administration.

Towards that end, Nitish took the first step on Tuesday by introducing five-day working weeks and extending working hours on weekdays.

Bihar government employees will now work from 0930 hours and 1800 hours on working days, departing from the earlier practice of working six days in a week between 1000 hours to 1700 hours and would be off on Saturday and Sunday.

The state government had extended the period of working hours to make up for Saturday's loss of working hours, Bihar Chief Secretary A K Chaudhary said, adding that the new system was introduced after the State Cabinet gave its nod to a proposal to this effect recently.

The new format also means less number of casual leaves, which will now stand reduced from 16 to 12 days.

In a speech to the people, who came to extend New Year greetings to him at his 1, Anne Marg Residence, Nitish said: "The year 2007 will be full of challenges and we will try our best to serve the people who have given us the mandate."

"We have to work hard in our respective fields and will convert challenges into opportunities," he urged.

Nitish says his government will intensify its endeavour to build a new Bihar with the help of the people. "My New Year resolve is to usher in an era of development with the cooperation of the people. I believe people will cooperate with me in developing the state for which we are making sincere effort," he said.

"I know that the year 2007 will be full of challenges and we will try our best to serve the people who have given us the mandate," Nitish said, while extending his best wishes and greetings to the minorities in particular and the people of Bihar in general on the occasion of Id-ul-Zoha and New Year.