Bihar implements 5-day week in its offices

“The five-day working week has implemented on the central government pattern. I hope it will be welcomed by the employees”, Kumar said. On whether card punching system would also be introduced, he said: “I want it to be introduced. It is good from the security and monitoring point of view.”

State government employees were seen running today in the corridors and glancing at their wrist watches to reach in time. Most of them, however, reached much after the Chief Minister had settled in his office on the first day. “You know my train arrived late due to fog”, said, Madan Prasad, an employee of Home Department. Though the employees might be cherishing two days rest in a week, there’s more in store to make them work. The state government also plans to reduce casual leave from 16 to 12 days.

The Chief Minister himself tried to set an example by stepping in his chamber in the old secretariat building five minutes earlier. Seeing reporters and photographers waiting for his arrival he said: “The media seems to be much ahead of us.” On the first day, Kumar was scheduled to remain in his office till 6 pm and for that he was there with his lunch box too.

Kumar, who is also referred as CEO, is slowly trying to introduce corporate culture in government functioning. It started with appointing retired army men on contract in the state police force. With them the Special Auxiliary Police was formed. Then it was followed by appointing teachers for schools on contract. Further process is on to appoint retired CBI officials on contract to form a special anti-corruption cell.

In the New Year Kumar promised to convert challenges into opportunities and thereby urged the employees to work harder to launch the state on the path of development. “2007 is full of challenges for us. Everyone one of us will have to work harder and transform these challenges into opportunities,” Kumar said.