Jabalpur, June 24 (IANS) The Madhya Pradesh High Court has issued a set of guidelines aimed at conserving fuel across the state’s judicial system, asking judicial officers, court staff and advocates to adopt measures such as vehicle pooling, use of public transport and video conferencing without affecting court work.

The directions, issued by the Registrar General on Wednesday under the orders of the Acting Chief Justice, will be applicable at the High Court’s Principal Seat in Jabalpur, its benches at Indore and Gwalior, and all district and subordinate courts in the state.

According to the advisory, government vehicles attached to courts will be used only for judicial and administrative purposes.

Authorities have been asked to prepare route-wise and locality-wise transport plans for officers and staff to ensure better utilisation of available vehicles and reduce unnecessary fuel consumption.

The High Court said separate vehicle facilities would be provided only in special circumstances such as emergencies, security requirements, protocol duties or medical needs.

Advocates and court employees have also been encouraged to use public transport, carpooling and two-wheeler pooling wherever possible.

The advisory further suggests the use of shared transport facilities, including mini-buses and Traveller vans, on routes with a large number of commuters.

The latest initiative comes weeks after Justice Dwarka Dhish Bansal of the Madhya Pradesh High Court travelled to court on a bicycle from his official residence in Jabalpur to promote fuel conservation and environmental awareness.

The move had drawn attention within legal circles and highlighted the need for reducing fuel consumption in daily life.

The High Court has also emphasised greater use of technology to cut down on travel.

Lawyers have been advised to appear and argue cases through video conferencing wherever feasible. Administrative meetings and official discussions have similarly been encouraged to be conducted through virtual platforms.

To ensure effective implementation, the Registry has ordered daily monitoring of fuel consumption by official vehicles.

Vehicle deployment will be decided according to work requirements and priority, while periodic reviews will be conducted to assess compliance with the guidelines.

The High Court clarified that the arrangement is temporary and has been introduced as part of efforts to contribute to national fuel conservation.

It said the measures have been designed in a manner that judicial proceedings and administrative work continue smoothly while promoting the efficient use of public resources.

–IANS

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