Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday stated that all government offices in the state will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. beginning May 2. "I will also arrive at my office at 7.30 a.m.," the Punjab Chief Minister stated, news agency PTI reported.
The state government agencies' office hours are currently 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. “The Punjab government has decided that from May 2, all the government offices will open at 7.30 am and close at 2 pm," Mann was quoted by PTI in its report.
The revised office hours will be in effect until July 15, he stated.
Mann stated that the decision was made after consultations with several people, including state government personnel.
He also stated that changing business hours during the summer will reduce the pressure on power usage.
“Power utility Punjab State Power Corporation Limited has stated that peak load (of electricity) starts after 1.30 pm and if government offices are shut at 2 pm, then it will help in reducing peak load by 300 to 350 MW," the chief minister said.
The state chief minister claimed on Friday that Punjab had cleared its total power subsidy bill of Rs. 20,200 crore for the previous fiscal year and had seen an increase in excise and GST income.
Mann told the reporters here that the state's income for the fiscal year 2022-23 was 8,841 crore, a 41.41 percent increase over the previous year.
He said that Punjab's financial situation was improving.
He claims that this is the first time that the whole subsidy cost for a fiscal year has been paid throughout the year.
"In 2022-23, which is the first year when the Punjab government paid the entire subsidy bill of ₹20,200 crore to the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited. Not even a single penny was pending towards PSPCL," he stated.