Chennai, Oct 18 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu government has announced a special holiday for all state government offices, public sector undertakings, schools, and colleges across the state on October 21 to facilitate smooth travel for citizens returning from their hometowns after celebrating Diwali.

Diwali falls on October 20, and the government said the one-day holiday was declared "in consideration of the welfare of students, teachers, government staff, and public sector employees" who would be travelling to and from their native places during the festive period.

To compensate for this additional holiday, Saturday, October 25, has been declared a working day for all government institutions and educational establishments.

The move came after repeated appeals from teachers' associations seeking a holiday on the day following Diwali to ensure hassle-free travel for students and staff. The Tamil Nadu Primary School Teachers Association (TNPSTA) had urged the government to consider the logistical difficulties faced by teachers and students who travel long distances to their native districts.

"For Diwali, teachers, students, and education department officials will travel to their hometowns over the weekend and return the next day. The transportation network is expected to be extremely congested," said C. Arasu, State President of the TNPSTA. He added that there was a long-standing precedent of granting a holiday on the day following major festivals to allow people to return conveniently.

"Considering the heavy travel rush, declaring October 21 as a holiday would help reduce congestion. It can be compensated with a working Saturday," the association's statement said.

According to government sources, the decision was taken after reviewing requests from various departments and education bodies, as well as feedback from transport and district officials.

The special holiday aims to ensure both safety and convenience for lakhs of people travelling across Tamil Nadu during the festive season.

With this announcement, schools and colleges will now observe a two-day Diwali break, with normal operations resuming on October 22.

--IANS

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