As India navigates its path to tackle the deepening West Asia crisis, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has called for work-from-home twice a week and reducing fuel consumption. The Chief Minister on Tuesday issued orders to remove unnecessary vehicles from the official convoys and to reduce the fleets of ministers, including himself, by 50 percent with immediate effect. His appeal to adopt austerity measures came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to reduce fuel consumption, defer gold purchases, and foreign travels.
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Yogi Adityanath's decision came after he chaired a high-level meeting attended by the chief secretary, DGP, and senior officials of various departments. “The Chief Minister also appealed for prioritizing the work-from-home culture in the State. He laid special emphasis on the use of PNG, Metro services, public transport and buses operated by the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation. In workplaces with a large workforce, a State-level advisory should be issued recommending work-from-home for two days a week. Seminars, meetings and workshops of the Education Department, along with other official meetings, should also be conducted virtually. Fifty percent of internal meetings at the State Secretariat and Directorates should also be held virtually,” reads an official statement.
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Yogi Adityanath also suggested staggered office timings to help reduce fuel consumption during peak hours and emphasised the need to promote cycling, car-pooling, and electric vehicles. In cities with Metro connectivity, he urged commuters to make greater use of Metro services, while recommending the expansion of bus services on routes with high passenger demand.
'No Vehicle Day'
The Chief Minister ordered that in workplaces with a large workforce, a state-level advisory should be issued recommending work-from-home for two days a week. He also proposed ‘No Vehicle Day' in a week and said govt employees, students and citizens from all sections of society should be associated with the campaign.
“Ministers, MPs, MLAs and public representatives should use public transport at least for one day a week. A ‘No Vehicle Day’ should also be organised once every week. Government employees, students of schools and colleges, and various sections of society should also be associated with this campaign," the CM said.
“Schools and colleges should encourage the use of school buses, and if required, roadways buses may also be linked with schools. To reduce fuel consumption during peak hours, office timings may be divided into different batches," he added.
Conserve electricity, organise weddings in country
Appealing to the people to save electricity, he said, “Unnecessary use of electricity should be avoided in government buildings, homes and private establishments. Decorative lighting in private establishments and commercial complexes should be minimized after 10 pm.” Yogi Adityanath urged citizens and wedding planners to organise events within the country and directed that museums and memorials be made free for visitors for a certain period. He urged people to avoid non-essential foreign travel for the next six months.
Yogi Adityanath appealed to the people to reduce edible oil consumption and directed the health department to launch nutrition awareness campaigns across schools, colleges, hospitals, jails, hostels and govt canteens. He directed the Agriculture Department to promote natural farming. “Gaushalas house around 1.4 to 1.5 million cattle in the state, and their cow dung should also be utilised effectively,” he said.
Exhorting people to reduce goods purchases, the CM said, “The administration should hold meetings with local jewellers’ associations and traders to address their concerns.”
(With TOI inputs)
