In a recent directive, the Office of the Chief Commissioner of Central Tax, Central Excise, and Customs in Thiruvananthapuram said that all officers and staff in Kerala should report to work on March 29 (Saturday), 30 (Sunday), and 31 (Monday), coinciding with Eid celebrations.
The order specified that supervisory officers were not to grant leave or permissions during these dates, effectively denying even Muslim employees the opportunity to take time off for Eid festivities. Notably, Kerala stood out as the only region in the country where such an office order was issued.
This decision followed a circular from the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) to all principal chief commissioners and chief commissioners of CGST nationwide, indicating that these three days would be working days. However, the CBIC's circular did not say that no one could avail leave, making the Kerala directive particularly stringent.
The move raised concerns among employees, especially those wishing to observe Eid with their families.
However, in a significant reversal, around 8:45 AM on March 29, the CBIC issued another order clarifying that the earlier directive restricting leave should be treated as cancelled. The order stated: ‘Further, the portion in the above order stating, “the Supervisory Officers may not grant any leave or permission to the officers on the abovementioned days”, may be treated as cancelled.’
This rollback came after widespread criticism.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas had expressed "grave concern" over the directive. In a letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Brittas termed the blanket prohibition as "deeply unjustified" and urged immediate corrective action. He emphasized that religious freedom and the right to observe significant festivals are fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution, and denying holidays for genuine religious obligations imposes undue hardship on employees.
Brittas further highlighted that such an approach could foster a sense of alienation among the affected officers and contradicted the Centre's notified holiday list, undermining the principles governing the observance of gazetted holidays.