To ensure strong voter turnout in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections, Civic Election Officer and Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram on Wednesday warned that both government and private establishments failing to grant a holiday or at least sufficient time off, for employees to vote on January 15 would face action. Polling is scheduled from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM, with counting to follow on January 16.
This directive is applicable to both government offices and private entities, such as IT firms, industrial units, shops, malls, hotels, and shopping centers. Labour Deputy Commissioner Nikhil Walke announced that the holiday will be compulsory and paid, ensuring that employees do not experience any wage loss for exercising their voting rights.
Walke stated that when it is not technically possible to provide a full-day holiday, employers must permit employees at least 2-3 hours of paid leave to vote. Management is responsible for ensuring that workers have sufficient time to get to polling stations and engage in the voting process.
Employees denied leave or forced to work on polling day can file complaints directly with the Additional Labour Commissioner or the Labour Deputy Commissioner’s office. The Labour Department has also established a grievance redressal mechanism, and officials noted that criminal action may be initiated against violators in line with Election Commission guidelines.
Employees can email complaints to:
alcpune5@gmail.com
dycl2021@gmail.com
Grievances must include the establishment's name, the official in charge, and a contact number. For help, employees can also reach out to Labour Department officials, such as Assistant Labour Commissioner Pravin B. Jadhav and other appointed officers.