Patna: Bihar's NDA Government introduced a five-day working week from today with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pledging to turn challenges into opportunities as his New Year resolution.

"Now State Government employees would work between 9.30 am and 6 pm on working days departing from the earlier practice of working six days in a week between 10 am and 5 pm and would be off on Saturday and Sunday," Chief Secretary A K Chaudhary said.

The state government had extended the period of working hours to make up Saturday's loss of working hours, Chaudhary said, adding the new system was introduced after the state cabinet gave its nod to a proposal to this effect recently.

The state government was in advantage by revising the working hours, official sources said.

Now the number of casual leave would stand reduced from 16 to 12 days, the sources said.

"The year 2007 will be full of challenges and we will try our best to serve the people who have given us the mandate," Chief Minister said.

"We have to work hard in our respective fields and will convert challenges into opportunities," he said.