Thiruvananthapuram: While most in Kerala will be savouring Onasadya with their families, those in some government services and IT sector may not have the privilege just like malayalee expatriates.
Apart from policemen, firemen, doctors and nurses, the others who will be away from their families include Beverages Corporation staffers, KSEB linemen and KWA blue brigade.
“Last Thiruvonam I had taken leave. So, those who worked last year said it was my turn to work this Onam. True techies like us only have five working days in a week but who wants to work on Thiruvonam?,” asked Sreehari H who works in an IT firm.
Government health centres which have only one doctor may not function, but every hospital above taluk level will function normally. “Doctors and medical staffers in taluk, general hospitals are used to not taking leave because such is our profession,” said DHS Ramesh R.
Though, all the 270 liquor outlets of the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco) will function on Thiruvonam day, the employees here are luckier than most in that they will get an additional allowance of '1,500 for working on the festival day.
“We have also allowed the employees to work in shifts so that they could spend some time with their families,” said Bevco Managing Director H Venkatesh.
City police commissioner G Sparjan Kumar said that 1,000 special police officers would be able to have Onasadya with their families and then report for duty.
“The special police deployment for Onam will begin only by 3.30 p.m. So they can have Onasadhya with their families,” he said.
At all fire stations, round the clock, a minimum number of officials required to answer emergency calls will be available. “The officials could work on rotation by maintaining the minimum strength required at all stations at any point of time,” said FRS director general A Hemachandran adding there would be no special allowance for work on Thiruvonam.
Kerala Water Authority employees are lucky and will be able to even participate in laying out floral carpets, but the eight-member Blue brigade group of KWA will be busy finding and plugging leaks in water pipelines.
KSEB linemen and KSRTC bus drivers will work in shifts, just as they do on Sundays or other public holidays. “All sections will have a handful of linemen to solve emergency works and an Assistant Engineer will always be on standby,” said the office of KSEB Distribution (South).
