Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced a series of austerity measures to conserve fuel and reduce government spending this week.
These steps follow a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to prioritize fuel conservation. The measures target the operational habits of government offices and the transit patterns of high-ranking officials to lower the city's carbon footprint and energy expenditure.
Under the new guidelines, government offices will implement two days of work-from-home per week [1]. To further reduce road congestion and emissions, ministers are now required to use the Metro on Mondays [1].
Gupta said she introduced a voluntary no-vehicle day once per week for the general public [2]. For official government operations, fuel quotas for vehicles have been reduced by 20% [2].
Additionally, the administration has imposed a six-month ban on the purchase of new vehicles [2]. These combined restrictions aim to curb the growth of the city's official fleet, while promoting the use of existing public infrastructure.
While some reports suggested a 60% reduction in the Chief Minister's motorcade, verified data only confirms the 20% cut to fuel quotas [2].
“Government offices will implement two days of work-from-home per week”
The adoption of these measures signals a shift toward institutionalizing remote work and public transit use within India's capital. By linking administrative changes to a direct call from the Prime Minister, the Delhi government is aligning local governance with national energy security and environmental goals.
