Acting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appeals to reduce fuel consumption, the Delhi
government, under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, has announced weekly two-days work from
home (WFH) for all its employees, among other steps taken to save fuel.
This announcement comes when the Central Government is trying to reduce imports, including
oil imports, in order to save the foreign exchange reserves amidst an anticipated resumption of
Israel/USA-Iran conflict.
Other measures adopted by the Delhi government to save fuel
On May 14, along with the 2-day WFH directive, other steps to conserve fuel were also
announced. These measures are listed as follows:50% of all official meetings will be held online.
Office timings of both the Delhi government and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will
be changed to prevent travel during peak traffic hours. “Metro Day” announced to encourage the use of public transport. Once a week “No Car Day” promoted for people. No new purchases of official vehicles for at least 6 months. 20% reduction in petrol limits for officers. 58 special buses for support staff to be provided, where the buses will travel across 29 government colonies.
PM Modi’s back-to-back appeal
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently appealed to the people of India, at both Hyderabad
and Vadodara, to increase the use of public transportation and electric vehicles in a bid to lower oil imports from the Gulf. Crude oil forms the largest component in India’s import bill, where india
imported crude oil worth $134.7 billion in FY26. The Iran conflict had effectively halted oil shipments from the Strait of Hormuz and weakened Indian Rupee vis-a-vis the US Dollar.
In addition, PM Modi had appealed for less gold purchases for one year, limit non-essential foreign travel, opt for natural farming and shift to WFH and online school classes. So, to strengthen the Rupee and thereby, ease the burden on foreign exchange reserves, PM Modi had repeatedly appealed to undertake these austerity measures.
Central government employees seek clear rules for WFH
The Central Secretariat Service (CSS) Forum has urged the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to lay down clear procedures for WFH, virtual conferences and online meetings for the central government employees. These guidelines will ensure smooth functioning of the administrative work without much disruption, when shifted to an online setup
More ministers and CMs act on PM’s appeal
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in accordance with PM Modi’s fuel-saving call, reduced his convoy size. Even PM Modi himself has sized down his convoy as well as included electric vehicles in the convoy, to promote judicious resource use. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath had directed the UP government officials, including MPs and MLAs, to use public transport every week for one day. He has further ordered 50% reduction in his convoy.
Moreover, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis rode a motorbike to Vidhan Bhavan, inspiring the public to curb fuel use. He emphasised the importance of cutting fuel usage, where he remarked, “The Prime Minister has asked all of us to exercise caution in view of the global situation, and accordingly, we need to make efforts to reduce the consumption of petrol-diesel. We have all reduced the size of our convoys.”
Import duty hiked on gold and silver
Apart from these fuel-saving efforts, the Centre has also increased the import duty on gold, silver, platinum and jewellery components, from 6% to 15%. Again, this step was taken to spurless imports with the aim of alleviating the forex burden on Indian exchequer.
