Public holiday not a fundamental right; time to reduce & not to increase them:High Court

Jan. 8: The Bombay High Court has held that there is no legally enforceable fundamental right to a public holiday and whether or not to declare a particular day as a public holiday or optional holiday is a matter of government policy. The court made these remarks while dismissing a petition asking the Administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli to establish August 2 as a public holiday to commemorate the Union territory’s liberation. A twp-judge bench was hearing the case.

It held, “As it is, we have far too many public holidays in this country. Perhaps the time has come to reduce, not increase, the number of public holidays.”