There are about one million public sector employees in Sri Lanka.

This move comes as the island nation, home to around 22 million, faces its worst economic crisis in more than 70 years, with people facing shortage of food, oil, medicines and other essentials and the government unable to import them due to a dire shortage of forex reserves.

This proposal was approved on Monday by the government for the public sector workers who are to be given leave every Friday for the next three months.

This move was brought about to tackle the twin problems of helping workers who are facing difficulties in getting to work as a result of fuel shortage and also to encourage them to grow their own food in an effort to tackle the food crisis.

(With UNI inputs)