Shinde Government Likely to Declare Public Holiday on Jan. 22

Mumbai: Maharashtra Government is likely to declare a public holiday on January 22, when ‘pran pratishtha’ (consecration ceremony) of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya will take place. Even though the General Administration Department (GAD) has given a negative response to the proposal, the decision is expected to be announced by Friday as the chief minister is returning to Mumbai from Davos on Thursday night. The development comes after the demands to declare a public holiday by cabinet minister and senior BJP leader Mangal Prabhat Lodha. An official from Mantralaya said that the GAD has submitted its proposal to the chief minister office stating that they can not give a public holiday for this type of programme as there is no…