Schools, govt offices, markets to be shut in Delhi, NCR towns
NEW DELHI: Schools, government offices and markets will be closed across the National Capital Region (NCR) on Friday as a mark of respect for former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Hours after the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital announced the death of the former PM, Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said all schools, including private ones, and Delhi government offices would be closed on Friday.
Similar announcements were made by the government in the neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. While the assembly session of Haryana government, which was scheduled to begin from Friday, was post- poned indefinitely, the Uttar Pradesh government also declared closure of all offices, schools and colleges.
The central government, meanwhile, announced all its employees will be working half day on Friday. The central government also announced a sevenday state mourning.
The Centre also said Vajpayee would be accorded a state funeral, which will be held at Delhi’s Rashtriya Smriti Sthal on Friday at 4pm.
Market associations across Delhi also came together and announced a “Delhi Trade Bandh” to be observed on Friday. “The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has appealed the traders of Delhi to keep their business establishments and markets closed tomorrow to pay respects and join the last rites of Atal ji. It is noteworthy that Atal ji was instrumental in formation of CAIT,” said CAIT national president BC Bhartia. This means markets like Nehru Place, Chandni Chowk, Karol Bagh and Laxmi Nagar and others will remain closed on Friday.
Sisodia and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal visited AIIMS, where Vajpayee was admitted on June 11 with multiple ailments, earlier in the day to enquire about the BJP patriarch’s health.
In a circular, the Union home ministry said the national flag would fly at half-mast for seven days across India from Thursday.
The New Delhi Municipal Council and the three municipal corporations announced that all their offices, schools and institutions would be shut on Friday.