‘Order Issued Without Approval’: Kolkata Municipal Corporation Withdraws Notification Scrapping Vishawakarma Puja Holiday

Kolkata: Issuing clarification over the notification that scrapped the Vishwakarma Puja holiday for Hindi medium schools, Kolkata Municipal Corporation on Wednesday said that the original corrigendum was passed by the officials without obtaining approval from the competent authority. 

According to the original corrigendum, Chief Manager of Education department, KMC had revised the Eid-ul-Fitar holidays from one to two days (March 31 to April 1, 2025) for Hindi-medium KMCP schools while canceling the holiday for Vishwakarma Puja (Sept 19, 2025), citing adjustments for the former.

Amid backlash, Kolkata Municipal Corporation has issued a show-cause notice to Siddhartha Sankar Dhara, who is the Chief Manager (Education), for changing the holiday dates. 

(Order mentioning scrapping of Vishwakarma Puja to adjust holidays for Eid-ul-Fitar)

Show-cause Issued To Official 

The Kolkata Municipal Commissioner issued a show-cause notice and has sought a reply from the Chief Manager (Education) to respond within three days. 

“Whereas your issuing of a holiday 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 on your part leading to spreading misinformation. You are hereby directed to show cause within 3 (three) working days from the date of this letter as to why action will not be taken against you for the above-stated act,” the notice issued by the Municipal Commissioner read. 

BJP Slams Mamata For Scrapping Vishwakarma Puja Holiday

Launching a scathing attack against the TMC chief on the earlier corrigendum, BJP leader Amit Malviya said, “Welcome to Mamata Banerjee ’s Islamic Caliphate of West Bengal.” 

Also Read: ‘144-Year Hype’: Mamata Belittles Maha Kumbh Again, Faces Backlash

Malviya further said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took this decision as she realised that “Muslim vote bank she once took for granted is slipping, even in the Greater Kolkata Region”.

“What she doesn’t understand is that Muslims don’t need endless holidays—they need education and employment. An additional day off means a loss of daily wages for Muslims, most of whom work as casual laborers in Bengal. It also deprives Hindus of their rightful observances,” he added. 

Earlier, the Calcutta High Court strongly reprimanded the West Bengal government over the lack of medical infrastructure in the state.

The division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Chaitali Chatterjee slammed the Mamata government over its failure to upgrade and expand the 10-bed Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Mathurapur, which was constructed in 1976.

“We can’t accept your submission that a 10-bed hospital constructed in 1976 is enough for the present also... The other places are also dirty; that’s why patients are going to private hospitals. Where is the logic? This is unacceptable. You move out of Kolkata; people are dying,” Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam remarked.

A social worker had filed a petition before the court that his ancestors had donated around 13 bighas of the land to the West Bengal government for the expansion of a local 10-bed primary health center (PHC) in 1976; however, no upgrade has been made yet at the healthcare facility.