NY celebrations banned in Odisha govt offices

Bhubaneswar: Odisha govt on Tuesday banned New Year celebrations in all govt offices, drawing sharp criticism from the opposition BJD and Congress, even as BJP defended the move.The chief minister’s office said in a statement, “Except for personal courtesy greetings, any kind of celebrations, meetings, feasts, parties, etc are completely prohibited within state govt office premises. Heads of all offices and institutions are directed to strictly enforce this.”Stating that CM Mohan Charan Majhi extended New Year greetings to the public, the CMO directed officials not to visit the CM or CMO staff in person for New Year wishes. It added that Jan 1 would remain a normal working day, and govt offices should not be turned into venues for New Year celebrations in any form.BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty condemned the order as “regressive and unnecessary overreach”, accusing the govt of policing personal choices. “You cannot force people into doing what you want,” he said. He further alleged that the govt was repeatedly meddling with traditions. “They tampered with Teachers’ Day and Children’s Day. Now they’re deliberately targeting Jan 1. This shows how out of touch they are. They want officials inside offices and offer buckets only to them,” he added.Congress legislature party leader Rama Chandra Kadam said the self-proclaimed “people’s govt” failed to respect public sentiment. “How can you stop employees from celebrating while doing their work? In stressed workplaces, it’s a way to unwind. You should find more occasions to celebrate, not cut them down,” he said.Defending the decision, BJP spokesperson Dilip Mohanty said the govt only intended to discourage gifting and lavish party culture in offices. “One should appreciate that the CM himself greeted people for the New Year. But a working day should not be wasted in the name of celebrations,” he said.In previous years, many govt offices marked the occasion by cutting cakes, sharing snacks and sweets, or organising a collective lunch.