Gandhinagar, May 15 (IANS) The Gujarat government has announced a wide-ranging set of measures aimed at reducing fuel consumption, government expenditure and foreign exchange outflow, while increasing the use of virtual administration and public transport across departments.

The decisions were announced after a state cabinet meeting held under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi on Friday, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appeal for the prudent use of resources.

Addressing the media after the meeting, state government spokesperson and minister Jitu Vaghani said the state had decided to implement several administrative measures in response to the prevailing global situation and in the interest of conserving resources.

“Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the state government is committed to protecting both the environment and the government treasury,” Vaghani said.

According to the new guidelines, travel for government work will now be undertaken only when necessary.

Officials have been instructed to avoid physical travel wherever possible and instead make maximum use of video conferencing, telephone and e-mail for official work.

Departments have also been directed not to call field-level officers for meetings unless necessary, and to conduct discussions through virtual platforms instead.

Officials attending meetings organised by the Centre or other state governments have similarly been advised to participate online “as far as possible”.

The state government has also decided that foreign visits, overseas training programmes, seminars and conferences should be avoided except under unavoidable circumstances.

Where travel outside Gujarat becomes compulsory, senior officials have been instructed not to take unnecessary staff along with them.

Officials have additionally been advised to avoid district-to-district travel for government work wherever possible.

In cases where such travel is unavoidable, they will be required to inform their controlling authority before departure.

The government has also ordered all administrative departments and subordinate offices to review the use of official vehicles and withdraw surplus vehicles from active service.

Officers holding multiple charges will be allowed to retain only one primary vehicle, while all additional vehicles must be deposited in the government vehicle pool.

Officials who have access to electric vehicles as an alternative to conventional government vehicles will now be required to use EVs or hybrid vehicles only.

Government employees and officers have also been encouraged to use public transport systems such as Metro rail, GSRTC buses and railways instead of private vehicles as part of environmental conservation efforts.

In a related announcement, the government said Metro rail services would be extended until 11 p.m. for public convenience.

The state has further decided to strengthen procurement policies in government institutions to prioritise indigenous products, locally manufactured goods and MSMEs.

Government events and inauguration programmes will also be organised “with simplicity”, while departments have been instructed to emphasise “virtual methods” for inaugurations and official functions.

As part of the energy-saving measures, piped natural gas (PNG) connectivity will be made mandatory in all government canteens within the next six months.

The government also announced plans to run public awareness campaigns against panic buying and unnecessary hoarding.

Appealing to citizens to cooperate, Vaghani said, “Citizens should not panic under any circumstances and should avoid unnecessary hoarding of resources.”

Referring to public participation during the Covid-19 pandemic, he added, “Just as citizens responded positively and extended unprecedented support to the appeal made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Covid period, we are confident that the people of Gujarat will extend full cooperation on this occasion as well.”

Vaghani said the decisions were expected to significantly reduce the consumption of petrol, diesel and foreign exchange while helping safeguard both the environment and the public exchequer.

–IANS

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