AP Chambers urges uniform holiday schedule across departments

The Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation (AP Chambers) has appealed to Chief Secretary K. Vijayanand to bring uniformity in the holidays declared by various departments. The Federation said a common schedule would help avoid confusion and reduce disruptions to business activity.

In a representation to the government, AP Chambers noted that different agencies — the Labour Department (under the Shops and Establishments Act), the Factories Department, the General Administration Department, and the Reserve Bank of India (under the Negotiable Instruments Act) — issue separate holiday lists. This results in overlapping or mismatched holidays, creating difficulties for industries, financial institutions, and service sectors.

AP Chambers president Potluri Bhaskara Rao said that many holidays are not relevant to all sectors but still lead to full closures of offices, banks, and industries. “The lack of uniformity affects business continuity and reduces productivity, especially for MSMEs and service-based enterprises that depend on regular banking and logistics operations,” he said.

The Federation suggested preparing a unified State Holiday Calendar for all departments, with holidays grouped as national, optional, and sector-specific. It also recommended aligning holidays across government, banking, and private sectors, and publishing a single consolidated list on a government portal for easy access.

AP Chambers said a common holiday framework would promote the ease of doing business, improve efficiency, and support higher productivity across Andhra Pradesh.