Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday announced a series of measures in a bid to conserve fuel following an appeal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The measures include working from home two days a week, using the metro as much as possible, separate working hours, and encouraging a vehicle-free day.
The measure, implemented under the ‘Mera Bharat, Mera Yugdan’ campaign, is a push towards fuel conservation amid rising global energy prices linked to the West Asian crisis.
Measures taken by Delhi government
- Work from home– Rekha Gupta announced at the government level that employees will be provided with two working days from home every week. Likewise, the private sector will also be advised to provide work from home. The Ministry of Labor will monitor the implementation of this rule.
- Minimum number of vehicles used– Urging the Prime Minister to reduce the use of cars and use the minimum number of vehicles.
- Metro Monday– All ministers and officials were advised to use the metro as much as possible to reduce dependence on personal transportation.
- Separate office appointments- The Delhi CM also informed that the Delhi government has introduced separate working timings for offices from 10:30 am to 7 pm. Moreover, the Delhi Municipal Corporation has also been asked to operate its offices from 8:30 am to 5 pm.
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- No vehicle day- She also called for a “vehicle-free day” where people would use public transportation.
- No new vehicles for Delhi government The Delhi government will not buy any new vehicles in the next six months, she said.
- Increase transportation allowance- The Delhi CM also confirmed that the transport allowance will be increased by 10 per cent if employees increase the use of public transport by 25 per cent.
- Online meeting- The Delhi government will hold 50 per cent of its meetings online. It also urged colleges and universities to host meetings online.
- It is officially forbidden to travel abroad. Under fuel conservation measures, Rekha Gupta announced that government officials or ministers will not undertake official travel abroad during the next year.
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- No major events- The Delhi government will not host large events or conferences for the next three months, she said. Large exhibitions of Made in India products will be held in shopping malls and supermarkets
- AC temperature limit- Set the temperature of air conditioners to 24 to 26 degrees Celsius to conserve electricity in government departments.
Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi urged Indians to adopt measures ranging from reducing consumption of petrol and diesel, postponing travel abroad, limiting the use of edible oil and avoiding buying gold.
These measures come as the government faces the economic repercussions of the ongoing global energy crisis amid the war between Israel, the United States, and Iran.
