Lucknow, Feb. 28 -- Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday directed that salaries for all government employees be disbursed before Holi and declared that holidays for the festival will be observed from March 2 to 4 while February 28 (Saturday) will be a working day. He further ordered the release of wages for outsourcing staff, contractual workers, sanitation workers, and all other employee categories before the festival so that no employee faces financial inconvenience during the celebrations. Immediately after returning from his two-nation tour of Singapore and Japan, the chief minister issued these instructions to the administration. He warned that any laxity or negligence in complying with the orders regarding payments and holidays will not be tolerated. The list of holidays declared for 2026 included Holika Dahan on March 2 and Holi on March 4, principal secretary, General Administration, SVS Ranga Rao, said, citing an order dated November 17, 2025. It has now been decided to declare March 3, 2026, a public holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, on the auspicious occasion of Holi, in the state. In a notification issued on Friday, the state government declared a public holiday on March 3. In light of this decision, all government offices in the state will function normally on February 28 (Saturday). It has been decided to keep offices, institutions, banks, and treasuries open....