New Delhi: In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for fuel conservation and “wise spending,” the Government of Delhi on Thursday announced a series of measures aimed at reducing fuel consumption and easing pressure on foreign exchange reserves.
Under the new measures, all Delhi government employees will work from home for two days every week, while 50 percent of official meetings will now be conducted online to reduce travel and fuel usage.
The Delhi government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi will also introduce staggered office timings to reduce peak-hour traffic congestion and fuel consumption.
As part of the initiative, the government has reduced the use of official vehicles. Petrol limits allotted to officers have been cut by 20 percent, lowering the monthly cap from 200 litres.
The government also announced that no new official vehicles will be purchased for the next six months.
To promote public transport, Delhi will observe a “Metro Day” and encourage citizens to follow a “No Car Day” once every week. Additionally, 58 special buses will operate across 29 government colonies for staff commuting.
The measures follow the Prime Minister’s recent appeal urging citizens to avoid unnecessary fuel consumption, postpone non-essential purchases such as gold, and limit avoidable foreign travel in view of rising global energy costs and pressure on India’s foreign exchange reserves.
