Bhubaneswar, May 21: In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent call for austerity measures in public life, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday announced an eight-point directive to curb petrol and diesel consumption across all government departments and institutions in the state.

This initiative comes amid growing concerns over fuel security due to tensions in West Asia. Following the Prime Minister’s appeal, CM Majhi has already halved the number of vehicles in his official motorcade and urged citizens to minimize the use of petrol and diesel.

According to a press release from the Chief Minister’s Office, Majhi has instructed the Chief Secretary to implement fuel-saving measures across government offices—from the Secretariat to sub-divisional, tahasil, and block offices—as well as in government undertakings, universities, and committees.

Key measures outlined include:

• Virtual Meetings and Events:Official meetings, review sessions, workshops, and training programmes will be conducted virtually wherever possible. In-person attendance will be limited to essential personnel only.
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• Transition to Electric Vehicles (EVs):From June 1, 2026, all new two-wheelers and four-wheelers procured for government offices must be electric. Purchase of petrol or diesel vehicles will be allowed only under exceptional circumstances. All rented vehicles for government offices must also be electric.
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• Carpooling and Reduced Vehicle Use:Senior officers using government vehicles for personal travel are encouraged to carpool, and allocations for personal use of official vehicles will be halved. The Finance Department will issue guidelines within 15 days defining which officers can use government vehicles for personal purposes.
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• Public Transport for Official Travel:Officers and employees are advised to use buses or trains for long-distance official travel to reduce fuel expenditure.
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• Encouraging Personal EV Use:Guidelines will be prepared to allow officers and employees to use their personal electric vehicles for official work.
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• Electric Bus Services:The government plans to introduce electric bus or mini-bus services for employees in areas with a high concentration of staff to support daily commuting.
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• Mandatory Fuel Reduction Targets:All government offices are instructed to cut monthly petrol and diesel consumption by at least 10%.
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CM Majhi emphasized that these directives must be implemented across all departments and institutions immediately to promote responsible fuel usage and support national conservation efforts.