Centre notifies Covid lockdown-ender April 14 as 'Closed Holiday', for Ambedkar's birthday

The central government has declared April 14, the birthday of B R Ambedkar, as a closed holiday for all its offices, according to a Personnel Ministry order issued on Wednesday. Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh took to Twitter to inform about the same and shared the statement released by Department of Personnel and Training. 

"All offices throughout India will remain closed'

The Centre has also notified the holiday under the Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, for banks. The section says, "When the day on which a promissory note or bill of exchange is at maturity is a public holiday, the instrument shall be deemed to be due on the next preceding, business day". Thus, all Central government offices and banks will be closed for business on Tuesday.

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In an order issued to all its departments, the Ministry said, "It has been decided to declare Tuesday, the 14th April 2020, as a closed holiday on account of the birthday of Dr B R Ambedkar, for all central government offices, including industrial establishments throughout India".

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April 14 is also the day when the lockdown imposed throughout the country to reduce the spread of the novel Coronavirus is scheduled to end unless the Centre decides to extend it. The death toll due to the novel coronavirus rose to 149 and the number of cases climbed to 5, 274 in the country on Wednesday, registering an increase of 485 cases in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry.

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(With PTI inputs)