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With 12-day Durga Puja break, Bengal govt employees will have more than 150 days off in 2026

Durga Puja and Kojagari Lakshmi Puja together account for a 12-day stretch of holidays next year

2 min readKolkataUpdated: Nov 28, 2025 04:06 PM IST

West Bengal state government employees will enjoy over 150 non-working days in 2026 with an extended 12-day mega break for Durga Puja. (File)

State government employees in West Bengal will have more than 150 non-working days in 2026, with an extended 12-day holiday during Durga Puja and several long festival breaks throughout the year.

According to the holiday list published by the state Finance Department, Durga Puja and Kojagari Lakshmi Puja together account for a 12-day stretch of holidays next year. Government employees have been granted leave on October 15, 16 and 17 for Chaturthi, Panchami and Sasthi. October 18, a Sunday, coincides with Maha Saptami. October 19, 20 and 21 will be holidays for Ashtami, Nabami and Dashami.

October 22, 23 and 24 have been declared as additional Puja holidays. Lakshmi Puja falls on October 25, also a Sunday, while October 26 has been marked as an additional holiday for Lakshmi Puja. In effect, government employees will have nearly half of October off.

In November too, employees will get more than 10 days of leave due to Kali Puja and Chhath.

However, in 2026, government staff will lose six festival holidays that fall on a Sunday. These include Shivaratri (February 15), Durga Puja Saptami (October 18), Lakshmi Puja (October 25), Kali Puja (November 8), Chhath Puja and Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary (November 15).

All employees get Saturdays and Sundays off.

In 2026, employees will receive 27 holidays under the Negotiable Instruments Act and 26 holidays under state government orders — a total of 53 days. With 52 Saturdays and 52 Sundays in the year, the total number of non-working days crosses 150.

Santhali employees will also get a holiday on Hul Dibas on June 30.

Atri Mitra

Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain. Experience Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express. Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news. Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions. Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal. Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla. Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent. Education Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting. Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur. Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More

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