Most get paid holiday on poll day in Kerala

With all set for the Kerala assembly polls, government employees and those working in non-service industry in the private sector, banks and some IT companies will get a paid holiday Wednesday to enable them cast their votes.

However, those working in the service industry and some techies haven't got that option.

The state government announced a paid holiday for its employees through an order issued last week. IT companies like Infosys here also have declared a holiday for their operations to enable their staffers to exercise their franchise.

Many IT companies operating out of the Technopark campus have given permission to their employees to vote and return, while some others are yet undecided on what they should do.

M Vasudevan, top official at the Technopark which houses more than 200 companies, told IANS an office which comes under the IT department and has 30-40 employees has been given a holiday Wednesday.

"As regards IT firms operating in the campus, it is for the companies to decide. Some have given a holiday while some others have given permission for their employees to vote and come back," Vasudevan said. Technopark employs more than 30,000 employees.

John Muthoot, who heads one group of the Muthoot Group of companies, said the group has given a full paid holiday to more than 3,000 employees working in their financial companies in Tamil Nadu and Kerala to enable them cast their votes.

"It is a statutory rule and we have complied with it. In our companies that work in the service industry, we have asked each of our employees that they can vote and then come for work, this is because the hotel industry cannot be given a holiday," Muthoot said.

Tipplers will have to wait till 5 pm on Wednesday for the state-owned liquor retail shops to open because the government ordered their closure right from the time the public poll campaign ended Monday evening 5 pm.

Shibhu Mathew, a banker with a leading bank, said the banking industry is also closed on account of the polls.