Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for austerity measures amid the West Asia crisis, the Delhi government has now urged private companies to allow working from home for two days a week.
This development comes days after the Delhi government introduced two days of work at home for government employees, while also calling for public transportation and carpooling.
Apart from this, private companies have also been advised to make changes in working timings and urge employees to opt for carpooling with their colleagues, as part of fuel conservation measures, PTI reported.
“In order to contribute to the national fuel conservation efforts, all employers of industrial establishments, factories, shops and commercial establishments in Delhi, including IT and IT Enabled Services (ITES), among others, are strongly encouraged to implement at least two days of work from home in a week,” said an advisory issued by the Delhi Labor Department.
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However, it provided an exception for private entities involved in essential services. These include hospitals, other health institutions, electricity, water, sanitation, and related municipal services.
The Ministry of Labor in its advisory also stated that in light of the current global situation, it was necessary to conserve fuels, including gasoline, diesel and compressed natural gas, and ensure their optimal utilization.
Paying for public transport, DMRC to run additional trains
The report stated that commuting to and from offices is one of the largest contributors to daily vehicle fuel consumption in Delhi, which calls for the use of public transport. To this end, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is expected to operate 24 additional train trips of six additional trains every Monday starting May 18. It will also be served on weekdays where applicable, ANI reported.
He stated that with private companies adopting work-from-home measures, the use of a large percentage of this fuel could be reduced.
The advisory said the operational feasibility of working from home has already been seen during the coronavirus (COVID-19) and GRAP-related measures, the agency said.
It has also been proposed to implement staggered office hours, in order to reduce vehicle loads during peak hours on the roads. For this reason, the advice recommends urging employees to use public transportation, carpooling, or non-motorized transportation. Apart from this, virtual meetings instead of physical meetings, online sessions to reduce mobility and proper IT infrastructure support to enable smooth WFH operations were also part of the recommendations.
Measures for government offices
The Delhi government has already announced a series of measures, including two days of work from home in government offices every week, staggered working hours and a ban on official foreign travel for the next year.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta launched the fuel saving campaign ‘Mera Bharat, Mera Yugdaan’ for 90 days, with a notification to use public transport and work from home for two days in government offices. Private companies will also be involved in the campaign, with the labor ministry monitoring implementation in the sector, Gupta said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on May 10 urged citizens to reduce petrol and diesel consumption, avoid non-essential travel abroad, reduce gold purchases and adopt other fuel conservation measures.
