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Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for fuel conservation, the Government of Gujarat has launched a special campaign aimed at reducing fuel consumption across the state.

As part of the initiative, the state’s General Administration Department has issued a strict circular containing 11 major directives for government offices and employees. The primary objective of the new rules is to curb fuel wastage at the administrative level and promote environmental protection.

Strict Restrictions on Travel and Meetings

Under the new guidelines, government officials have been barred from undertaking foreign trips except in unavoidable or highly essential situations. Employees have also been advised to avoid overseas training programmes, seminars and study tours.

Officials attending meetings organised by the Central government or other states have been encouraged to participate virtually instead of travelling physically. The circular also instructs departments to minimise unnecessary travel outside districts and rely more on telephone calls, emails and video conferencing for official communication.

If travel outside the district becomes absolutely necessary, prior approval from the controlling authority will now be mandatory.

Measures to Cut Fuel Consumption

To further reduce fuel usage, officers handling charge of multiple government departments have been instructed to surrender all additional official vehicles except their primary one to the government vehicle pool with immediate effect.

The state government will also review the number of vehicles used in offices and discontinue unnecessary vehicle usage. Departments have additionally been directed to promote the use of electric vehicles (EVs) wherever possible.

Push for Public Transport and Awareness Campaigns

Government employees and officials have been urged to reduce the use of personal vehicles and make greater use of public transport services such as metro rail, state transport buses and railways.

The government also plans to launch a public awareness campaign urging citizens not to panic-buy or hoard essential commodities in view of global developments.

Priority for Indigenous Products and New Rules for Government Canteens

In another major decision, the Gujarat government has directed all state-run institutions to prioritise indigenous goods, local products, MSMEs and Indian-origin services under its procurement policy.

As part of eco-friendly reforms, all government canteens have also been instructed to obtain Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connections within the next six months.