Itanagar: Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh has demanded for a separate time zone for the Northeast states due to a very valid reason.
As per HT, Pema Khandu told that a separate time zone was needed to improve work efficiency and save electricity in the region. “We get up as early as 4 am,” said the 37-year-old former Congressman who became the country’s youngest Chief Minister in July last year.
“Several daylight hours are wasted as government offices open only at 10 am and closes at 4 pm.” His remarks came against the backdrop of a Gauhati High Court order rejecting a public interest litigation seeking a separate time zone for the Northeast.
In a study conducted by Bengaluru-based National Institute of Advanced Studies, stated in a report that a new time zone could save up to 2.7 billion units of electricity. Moreover, in 2006 a planning commission’s report, too, suggested different time zones in India to improve efficiency.
Former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, in 2014 also had proposed a separate time zone for the northeastern region and suggested that chai bagan (tea garden) time could be followed in the area. Chai bagan time is a standard practice followed in tea gardens and is one hour ahead of the Indian Standard Time.