BENGALURU, 2 APRIL

The State government has revised office hours in nine districts to protect workers and the public from intense summer heat. The new timings will be in effect throughout April and May in Kalyana Karnataka’s Kalaburagi, Bidar, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari, Vijayanagar, Yadgir, and Kittur Karnataka’s Vijayapura and Bagalkot. Government offices will operate from 8 am to 1. 30pm.

This decision follows a request from the Karnataka State Government Employees Association president, Shadakshari, to modify working hours. The move comes after record-breaking temperatures, with Kalaburagi hitting 42.8°C and an average of 41°C in Kalyana Karnataka districts. This change aims to ease the heat burden on both employees and the public.

The order said, "The government servants in these districts shall perform their duty as usual without any omission/interruption during the changed hours. Without causing any inconvenience to the public, the employees shall perform duty without any time limit if directed by the District Commissioners/ Executive Officers of Zilla Panchayats to perform any work in case of emergency."