Mizoram introduces ‘no official vehicle day’, work-from-home measures amid West Asia crisis

The Mizoram government has introduced several fuel conservation and expenditure reduction measures, including a weekly ‘No Official Vehicle Day’, staggered office timings, and work-from-home arrangements for 20 per cent of employees amid the ongoing West Asia crisis.

The initiatives were announced following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to reduce fuel consumption and promote prudent expenditure in view of the international situation.

According to an order issued by the General Administration Department, all departments have been instructed to implement work-from-home arrangements for 20 per cent of their staff.

Under the new guidelines, every Wednesday will be observed as ‘No Official Vehicle Day’, during which government employees have been encouraged to either walk or use public transport while commuting to offices.

However, essential services such as healthcare, emergency response, water and power supply, transport services, and law enforcement agencies have been exempted from the work-from-home directive.

To reduce traffic congestion and fuel consumption, government offices are now operating in two separate shifts. Around 20 departments, including Agriculture, Education, Power and General Administration, will function from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, while another 20 departments, including Home, Health and Disaster Management, will operate from 10:30 am to 6 pm.

The government has also directed departments to prioritise video conferencing over physical meetings and minimise official travel within and outside the state. Foreign travel by government employees under state establishments has also been discouraged.

As part of the austerity measures, ministers and senior officials have been advised to reduce vehicle convoys. Offices have additionally been instructed to strictly follow power-saving practices by switching off lights, fans, air conditioners and other electrical appliances after office hours.

The order further asked departments to avoid celebratory functions and cut down on non-essential expenditure as part of the broader cost-saving exercise.