Sunday, November 23, 2008

Tamilnadu Government holidays for the year 2009



Thursday the 1st of January

New Year’s Day

Thursday the 8th of January

Muharram **

Wednesday the 14th of January

Tamil New Year's Day / Pongal

Thursday the 15th of January

Thiruvalluvar Day

Friday the 16th of January

Uzhavar Thirunal

Monday the 26th of January

Republic Day

Tuesday the 10th of March

Meelad-un-Nabi

Friday the 27th of March

Telugu New Year’s Day

Wednesday the 1st of April

Annual Closing of Accounts for Commercial and Co-operative Banks *

Tuesday the 7th of April

Mahaveer Jayanthi

Friday the 10th of April

Good Friday

Tuesday the 14th of April

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's Birthday

Friday the 1st of May

May Day

Thursday the 13th of August

Krishna Jayanthi

Saturday the 15th of August

Independence Day

Sunday the 23rd of August

Vinayakar Chathurthi

Monday the 21st of September

Ramzan

Sunday the 27th of September

Ayutha Pooja

Monday the 28th of September

Vijaya Dasami

Wednesday the 30th of September

Half yearly Closing of Accounts for Commercial and Co-operative Banks *

Friday the 2nd of October

Gandhi Jayanthi

Saturday the 17th of October

Deepavali

Saturday the 28th of November

Bakrid

Friday the 25th of December

Christmas

Monday the 28th of December

Muharram **

Though the Independence Day(15th August 2009), Vinayakar Chathurthi, (23rd August 2009), Ayutha Pooja (27th September 2009), Deepavali (17th October 2009) and Bakrid (28th November 2009) fall on Saturdays and Sundays, they have been indicated in the above list for easy reference.

* Applicable only to Commercial Banks including Co-operative Banks in Tamil Nadu

** Muharram falls twice in the year 2009.

Andhra Pradesh Government Holidays for the year 2009


Tuesday, November 4, 2008

A harrowing day at the Passport Office

If you want to see a place worse than the fish market, you can see one at the Passport Office at Chennai. May be you feel you are highly educated and sensitive to listen from a watchman or a security man the documents you have to submit, don’t feel ashamed. See another one day celebrity. You are standing at the entrance of a room where an old woman official is sitting to find out mistakes at any cost in your application, without explaining you what actually is needed, don’t feel embarrassed It is after all India.
It was a harrowing experience right from the beginning. I had applied online for a passport and the system gave me the appointment at 10.30AM. Hoping that I will be welcomed by the pleasing officials to do the needful, I entered the Passport Office and within no time I thought that I had entered into a chaotic place. I was the last in the serpentine Q, of course after some time I had the satisfaction of seeing the continuing unending Q behind me.

This was not the final shock I had to feel. Except the person looking like a watch man or a private security man, there is no body else helping you what is needed. The Q becomes restless. If you feel that you have completely followed the instructions you have seen on the web site you are mistaken. They will tell you and inform you several things which are not available on the website or any other official notice board. Finally the lone lady leaves the room nonchalantly as it is lunch time for her leaving a lump in the throat of several persons anxiously waiting in the unending Q. All of them who were standing in the Q patiently without going for water, tea or food or not even for toilet lest they will loose their place in the Q had to wait for some more time. Finally madam arrives and I was ushered in. And she told to the shock of my life that I was a senior citizen as I am more than 55 years old and asked me to go upstairs. So I wasted all my time for the last 5 hours and went upstairs. The gentleman there tells me about some more requirements and finally asks me to come on some other day convenient to me. When I was moving hurriedly here and there several persons approached me to verify their documents whether they are correctly placed or not. It was a horrible experience all the way, leaving you think about the eternal Karma siddhanta of the Hindu philosophy. The final touch: A lady who had undergone the same expedience was heard commenting “I do not want to leave India (Mera Bharat Mahaan) by taking this type of passport”.
I feel that this is the most mismanaged place in the esteemed Ministry of External Affairs.

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