Hyderabad: Telangana schools will receive a series of holidays due to the ongoing panchayat elections. Officials said the buildings will function as polling centres, which created the need for repeated closures. As a result, students and teachers in the polling-centre limits will get nearly six days of leave. District collectors issued instructions to implement the holiday schedule.
Authorities said schools will remain closed on January 10 and 11 for the first phase of polling arrangements. Moreover, the second phase will fall on January 13 and 14. Since those dates coincide with the second Saturday and Sunday, they will merge with the schedule as regular holidays. This alignment will further extend the break for several institutions.
Third-phase schedule adds more holidays; paid leave approved for workers
The third phase of polling will add holidays on January 16 and 17. Officials said the gap was necessary to prepare polling material and ensure smooth conduct of the election process. They added that the timetable aimed to avoid disruptions and allow staff to manage each stage of the poll without pressure.
Meanwhile, the government instructed all establishments in polling areas to grant paid leave to government employees, private employees and labourers. Officials said this measure would help voters participate without losing wages. They also noted that the orders formed part of the State’s plan to support effective and inclusive polling across districts.