Nuakhai in Odisha: Banks to remain shut on September 1

The Odisha government on Monday announced that the banks will remain closed on September 1, 2022, on the occasion of Nuakhai.

As per the notification issued by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, “The government of Odisha have been pleased to declare under the explanation to section 25 of the Negotiable Instrument Act 1881 (Centra Act XXXVI of 1881), read with the notification of the Government of India,. Ministry of Home Affairs (dated June 8, 1957, the public holidays, expressly defined in the said explanation, that the banks and other banking institutions in Odisha, will remain closed on September 1, 2022 on the occasion of Nuakhai.”

It is pertinent to mention here that Nuakhai is a prominent agricultural festival observed by the people of Western Odisha with much pomp and grandeur.

A lot of people from western Odisha are also demanding an extension of the public holiday during Nuakhai as in the Odisha government holiday list, only the day of the festival is mentioned as the holiday. It is also demanded that the one-day holiday for Nuakhai, the mass festival of Western Odisha, should be increased to two or three days.

Leader of Opposition Jayanarayan Mishra had also shot off a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and demanded to declare a two-day-long state-level holiday for the mass festival.