‘Work 4 days, grow food 3 days’: Sri Lanka to public servants amid food crisis

Colombo: Public servants in Sri Lanka will now have to work only four days a week -- and grow food the remaining three days to beat an impending food crisis in the island nation.

The Cabinet on Monday declared that Friday will henceforth will be a holiday for public servants on top of Saturday and Sunday.

Friday will be a public holiday except for those in essential sectors such as education and health.

"With three non-working days, public sector employees will be encouraged to carry out agricultural work to increase (food) production in the country," it said.

Simultaneously, the Cabinet also decided that government employees who are willing to migrate abroad for work will be given a five-year no-pay-leave, the Daily Mirror reported on Tuesday.

Those public servants going abroad for work will not lose their promotions or retirements benefits upon return, it said.

Sri Lanka is battling a severe economic crisis, triggering widespread shortages of food, fuel and medicines. (UNI)