Tripura govt introduces a two-day weekend for state offices, revises official working hours, and approves recruitment for 81 vacant posts across PWD, ICA, and Finance departments while implementing austerity measures and expanding virtual governance initiatives.
The Tripura government has announced a major change in the functioning of state government offices by introducing a two-day weekend system and revising official working hours across departments. Alongside the administrative reforms, the state cabinet has also approved recruitment for 81 vacant posts in three important departments.
The decisions were announced on Monday by Tourism Minister and cabinet spokesperson Sushanta Chowdhury during a press conference held at the state secretariat. According to the minister, all state government offices in Tripura will now remain closed on Saturdays and Sundays with immediate effect.
To compensate for the additional weekly holiday, the government has revised office timing for the remaining working days. State government offices will now function from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm instead of the earlier schedule. The revised timing will be applicable across departments from Monday to Friday.
The minister further stated that the roster-based work-from-home arrangement introduced earlier for Group-C and Group-D employees has been withdrawn. As a result, all government employees will now be required to attend office physically on all working days.
The cabinet also discussed measures aimed at reducing administrative expenditure in view of the prevailing international and economic situation. Chowdhury said the state government has decided that nearly 75 percent of official meetings will now be conducted virtually as part of austerity initiatives. The government is also encouraging increased use of electric and CNG vehicles while reducing the use of conventional official vehicles in administrative activities.
He added that departments have already been instructed to prioritize the purchase and outsourcing of electric vehicles wherever possible. The government is also emphasizing controlled administrative spending and limiting large-scale official gatherings.
A significant highlight of the cabinet meeting was the approval for recruitment in multiple departments. The state cabinet cleared the process for filling up 81 vacant posts under the Public Works Department (PWD), Information and Cultural Affairs (ICA) Department, and Finance Department.
Under the PWD, 26 Lower Division Clerk (LDC) posts will be created and filled through the Joint Recruitment Board of Tripura (JRBT). Among these positions, three posts have been reserved for ex-servicemen while the remaining posts will be filled through the standard recruitment process.
The ICA Department received approval for direct recruitment in 50 vacant posts across several categories. The recruitment includes 13 Reporter posts, 24 LDC posts, seven Cultural Assistant posts, two Folk Artist posts, and one post each for Translator, Script Writer, Assistant Photographer, and Assistant Librarian.
Additionally, the cabinet approved recruitment for five Inspector of Small Savings posts under the Finance Department through the Tripura Public Service Commission (TPSC).
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Responding to questions from reporters, Chowdhury, who also holds the Food portfolio, assured citizens that the state currently has adequate stock of fuel and essential commodities. He said the government is closely monitoring the situation and necessary arrangements are in place to avoid shortages.
The latest decisions are expected to impact thousands of government employees across the state while also opening new employment opportunities for job seekers in Tripura.
