Every Voter Should Get Paid Holiday On Voting Day: Himachal Poll Officer

Every person who is entitled to vote during the Lok Sabha and assembly elections will be granted a paid holiday on the day of the poll, Himachal Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Maneesh Garg said on Wednesday.

No deduction or reduction of the wages shall be made on account of such holiday, and action can be taken against an employer for any violation, Mr Garg said in a statement.

To ensure maximum participation of voters, a paid holiday has been declared on the poll day (June 1) to enable all the employees working in government offices, boards, corporations, educational institutions, businesses and industrial establishments in the state to exercise their right to franchise, the statement said.

Daily wage employees and employees working in commercial and industrial establishments are also entitled to a paid holiday on June 1, it said, adding that instructions on it have been issued to the assistant directors of factories in Una, Solan and all labour officers in Himachal Pradesh.

All District Election Officers in the state have also been directed to monitor that every employee, especially daily wage workers and labourers of the unorganised sector, get a paid holiday on the poll day, the statement said.

Voting in all four Lok Sabha constituencies and six assembly by-polls will be held on June 1.