Delhi Govt Announces Mandatory Two-Day Work From Home Amid Fuel Conservation Drive

The Government of Delhi on Thursday announced a series of austerity and fuel-conservation measures, including mandatory work from home for government employees, restrictions on official vehicle usage and promotion of public transport, following an appeal by Narendra Modi amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

The announcement was made by Rekha Gupta during a press conference, where she stated that the Delhi government has prepared a two-level strategy to reduce fuel and energy consumption and ease traffic-related pressure in the national capital.

Under the new measures, government employees will work from home for two days every week. The Delhi government will also issue an advisory requesting private companies to adopt similar work-from-home arrangements.

“Every Monday will be observed as ‘Metro Monday’ for ministers and government officials, encouraging the use of public transport.”

The government has also curtailed the use of official vehicles and reduced petrol allocation for officials by 20 per cent from the existing quota of 200 litres. In addition, the government announced that no new vehicles will be purchased for the next six months.

Office timings across departments have been staggered to reduce congestion during peak traffic hours. Delhi government offices will function from 10:30 am to 7:00 pm, while Municipal Corporation of Delhi offices will operate from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.

The Chief Minister also appealed to Delhi residents to voluntarily observe one “No Vehicle Day” every week as part of the fuel-saving exercise.

Further, transport allowance for employees will be increased by 10 per cent to encourage greater use of public transport systems such as the metro and buses. Traders and businesses in Delhi have also been urged to shift cargo transportation from trucks to railways wherever feasible.

The measures announced by the Delhi government include:

• Mandatory two-day work from home for government employees.
• Advisory for private companies to implement WFH arrangements.
• Reduction in usage of government vehicles.
• 20 per cent cut in petrol allocation for officials.
• “Metro Monday” initiative for ministers and officials.
• Staggered office timings to reduce traffic congestion.
• No purchase of new government vehicles for six months.
• 10 per cent increase in transport allowance for employees.
• Appeal to residents to observe one “No Vehicle Day” every week.
• Encouragement for businesses to shift cargo movement from road to rail.

The Chief Minister said the steps are aimed at promoting fuel conservation, encouraging public transport usage and reducing pressure on the city’s transport infrastructure in the coming months.