Bhubaneswar, May 21 (IANS) In view of the fuel crisis triggered by the conflict in West Asia, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday issued eight directives to significantly reduce the use of petrol and diesel in government offices across the state.

According to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), CM Majhi also directed Chief Secretary Anu Garg to take appropriate measures to reduce the use of petrol and diesel across government departments.

Majhi directed the authorities to ensure the conduct of various official meetings, review sessions, training programmes, and workshops in virtual mode unless physical presence is absolutely necessary.

As per the instructions, in cases where in-person attendance is essential, only those officers and employees whose presence is required will attend physically, while others will participate virtually.

CM Majhi also directed that from June 1, 2026, onwards, all newly purchased two-wheelers and four-wheelers for government offices must be electric vehicles (EVs).

“Permission to purchase petrol or diesel vehicles will only be granted under special circumstances. Likewise, all four-wheelers hired on a rental basis for government offices from June 1 onwards must also be EVs,” the Chief Minister directed.

The CM instructed that senior officers who have been allotted government vehicles for personal official use have to adopt carpooling.

Accordingly, the fuel allocation for such vehicle usage will also be reduced by half.

The Finance Department will issue guidelines within 15 days specifying which categories of senior officers will be eligible to use government vehicles on a personal basis.

Officials and employees have been instructed to use buses or trains for transportation while travelling to distant locations on official duty.

Meanwhile, the Finance Department has been directed to formulate guidelines regarding the use of personal electric vehicles owned by officers for official purposes.

The Chief Minister also stated that electric buses or mini-bus services will be arranged for government employees commuting from areas with a high concentration of staff members.

All government offices have been asked to take well-planned measures to ensure at least a 10 per cent reduction in monthly petrol and diesel consumption for government vehicle operations.

The Chief Minister has directed strict implementation of these guidelines across all levels of government, from the State Secretariat to sub-divisional offices, tahasil and block-level offices, as well as in all government undertakings, institutions, universities, and committees across the state.

–IANS

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