Paid Holiday to employees on the day of Poll

Paid Holiday to employees on the day of Poll

Election Commission of India has declared to grant of paid holiday to employees on the day of poll in Punjab, Goa, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The General Elections to the Legislative Assemblies of Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, 2012. As per the section 135B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which provides for the grant of paid holiday to the employees on the day of poll. The rule of section 135B says,
(i)  Every person employed in any business trade, industrial undertaking or any other establishment and entitled to vote at election to the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly of a State shall, on the day of poll, be granted a holiday.

(ii) No deduction or abatement of the wages of any such person shall be made on account of a holiday having been granted in accordance with sub-section (1) and if such person is employed on the basis that he would not ordinarily receive wages for such a day, he shall nonetheless be paid for such day the wages he would have drawn had not a holiday been granted to him on that day.

(iii)  If an employer contravenes the provisions of sub-section (1) or sub-section (2), then such employer shall be punishable with fine, which may extend to five hundred rupees.

(iv)  This section shall not apply to any elector whose absence may cause danger or substantial loss in respect of the employment in which he is engaged."