The Maharashtra government on Wednesday ordered an immediate reduction in the number of vehicles in the convoys of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and all state ministers as part of a wider austerity and energy-conservation initiative launched following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to save fuel and foreign exchange.
The decisions were taken during two high-level review meetings chaired by Fadnavis, where the government discussed steps to cut official expenditure, reduce fuel consumption, and limit non-essential travel.
Under the new directives, the size of the chief minister’s and ministers’ convoys will be cut by 50 per cent with immediate effect. Police commissioners and superintendents of police have also been instructed to ensure that convoy sizes remain within prescribed limits during outstation visits.
The state government has further directed ministers and senior officials to avoid foreign tours until further notice. Ministers have also been advised to minimise the use of government aircraft and helicopters and instead prefer scheduled commercial flights unless absolutely necessary.
In another major move, ministers and senior bureaucrats have been encouraged to use public transport systems, including metro rail services. As part of the initial phase, they have been asked to adopt public transport for at least one day on an experimental basis.
The administration has also instructed departments to increasingly rely on videoconferencing instead of routinely summoning officials to Mumbai for meetings. Departments have additionally been asked to review the allocation and usage of government vehicles.
As part of energy-saving measures, authorities have been directed to take stricter action against unnecessary hoardings and flex boards, while decorative lighting at such locations is also set to be curtailed. Senior government officials were present during the meetings.
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