Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has issued a comprehensive set of measures to reduce petrol and diesel consumption within the state administration, in view of the prevailing situation in West Asia and concerns over fuel expenditure.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has directed all government departments, institutions, and state-run organisations to implement the new guidelines across all administrative levels strictly.
According to the directives issued by the CM, government meetings, review sessions, training programmes, and workshops will largely be shifted to virtual mode unless physical presence is considered necessary. In cases where in-person participation cannot be avoided, only officials and employees whose presence is essential will attend physically, while others will join through virtual platforms.
The state government has also decided to promote the use of electric vehicles across government offices. From June 1, 2026, all newly purchased two-wheelers and four-wheelers for government use will have to be electric vehicles. Petrol and diesel vehicles will only be permitted under special circumstances and subject to approval. The government has further made it mandatory for all four-wheelers hired on rent for official purposes after June 1 to be electric vehicles.
In another significant move, senior officers who have been provided government vehicles for official use will now be encouraged to adopt carpooling arrangements. Under the new system, officers travelling on similar routes will use a single vehicle for commuting. The allocation related to government vehicle usage will also be reduced by half accordingly.
The Finance Department has been tasked with preparing detailed guidelines within 15 days regarding the categories of senior officials who will be eligible to use government vehicles individually. The department has also been asked to frame a policy on how officers owning private electric vehicles can use them for official government work.
The new directives further stress the use of public transport for official travel. Officers and government employees travelling to distant locations on official duty have been instructed to use buses or trains instead of separate official vehicles wherever possible.
To support daily commuting needs, the state government has also proposed the introduction of electric buses and minibuses in areas where large numbers of government employees reside. The initiative is aimed at reducing dependence on fuel-powered vehicles while improving shared transportation facilities for staff.
Majhi has additionally instructed all government offices to take planned and effective steps to ensure that monthly petrol and diesel consumption linked to government vehicle operations is reduced by at least 10%.
The directions will be applicable across the entire state administrative structure, including the State Secretariat, government departments, sub-divisional offices, tehsil and block-level offices, as well as government undertakings, universities, institutions and committees functioning under the state government.
