Mumbai (Maharashtra)

Samajwadi Party's Abu Asim Azmi on Saturday requested the state government to grant time off to employees during the holy month of Ramzan. In a formal communication to the Chief Minister, Azmi proposed a policy similar to those recently implemented in neighbouring states to facilitate observers during the fasting period.

Abu Asim Azmi, while talking to the media, said, " I have written a letter to the Chief Minister urging him to grant time off to employees during Ramzan, as the governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have already done in their states. It has been some time since we submitted this request to the government, but we have not received any response yet."

Earlier this week, the Telangana Government issued an order on Tuesday, granting permission for all Muslim Government employees, teachers, contract and outsourcing staff, employees of Boards/Corporations, and Public Sector employees in the State to leave their offices and schools at 4:00 PM during the holy month of Ramzan.

The early departure facility is designed to enable Muslim employees to observe religious practices and break their fast during the month of Ramzan, which involves fasting from dawn to sunset. The permission applies to a variety of Muslim employees, including teachers, contract and outsourcing staff, employees of Boards and Corporations, and Public Sector employees across Telangana.

Similar provisions have been granted by the Telangana government in previous years as well, reflecting a long-standing practice of ensuring that Muslim employees can observe their religious obligations without compromising their professional duties.

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Ramzan, also known as Ramadan, is the most sacred month in the Islamic calendar that falls in the ninth month of the Hijri (the Islamic lunar calendar). During this holy period, Muslims observe fasting from dawn until sunset, a practice called Roza, which is one of the five pillars of Islam, signifying values of devotion, self-restraint, and spiritual contemplation.

This year's holy month of Ramzan got underway on February 18, and will continue for approximately 29 to 30 days.