- Ministry of Power advised PSUs to allow up to 20% staff to work from home one day weekly
- Maharashtra government imposed cost-cutting to reduce administrative expenses and enforce discipline
- Senior officials must use public transport and cut ministerial convoy vehicles by 50% immediately
The Ministry of Power has issued an advisory to its PSUs to evaluate the possibility of allowing 20% of staff to work from home, according to an advisory seen by NDTV Profit.
The advisory further said that the central public sector undertakings will be required to identify officials who can work from home at least one day in a week. The advisory will come into effect from May 18.
The development is seen as a direct result of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to the country to cut down on fuel usage, in view of the crisis in West Asia that has strained energy supplies.
This comes after the Maharashtra government had rolled out a stringent cost-cutting policy aimed at enforcing financial discipline and reducing administrative expenditure across departments, as per NDTV reports. As part of the measures, even senior officials will be required to use public transport such as local trains and buses, underscoring the government's push to curb discretionary spending.
Acting on directives from the Chief Minister, the state has instructed all departments, district collectors, municipal corporations and other administrative units to rationalise expenses and limit resource usage.
Fadnavis directed that the number of vehicles in the convoys of all ministers, including his own, be reduced by 50 per cent with immediate effect, and instructed the Chief Secretary to prepare a comprehensive fuel-saving plan to be presented at the state cabinet meeting on May 14.
The directive also pushed departments to expand the use of electric vehicles, increase reliance on online meetings to reduce travel costs, and evaluate the necessity of foreign visits — with a clear push to cancel or defer non-essential international travel.
As part of the measures, senior officials will be required to use public transport such as local trains and buses, underscoring the government's push to curb discretionary spending.
The response has not been limited to Maharashtra alone.
Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat announced he would travel within the state using trains and public transport instead of helicopters, while Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary said he had halved his vehicle usage and would undertake official travel only when necessary.
Speaking at an event in Telangana, Modi called for the revival of several Covid-era practices, including work-from-home arrangements, virtual meetings and online conferences, while also encouraging the use of public transport, car-pooling, electric vehicles and rail freight.
The ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran has severely disrupted global oil and gas markets, leading to shortages and price increases in several countries.
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