Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann gave a press today announcing new timings for government offices in the state. The new timings will see offices open at 7:30 am and stay open till 2 pm in the afternoon. This new ruling will take effect on the 2nd of may and in all likelihood, extend till the 15th of July. Beyond that the normal timings of 9 to 5 will be brought back.
For clarification, this decision has been taken in the wake of the approaching summer season, which will see the temperature rise rapidly in north Indian states like Punjab. This is also seen as a way of saving electricity during the summer, seen as the most stressful for time of the year for the power grid of the state.