Odisha govt mandates EV use for official work, pushes virtual meetings

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Thursday issued an eight-point directive mandating virtual official meetings wherever possible, compulsory use of electric vehicles (EVs), and a 10 per cent reduction in fuel consumption across departments.

The directives were issued on the instructions of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who had earlier reduced the size of his official convoy following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to spend wisely.

The chief minister also directed the chief secretary to take appropriate steps to ensure at least a 10 per cent reduction in fuel consumption by government departments.

According to instructions issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), government-level meetings, reviews, training programmes and workshops will henceforth be conducted in virtual mode unless physical presence is absolutely necessary.

"In cases where physical presence is required, only essential officers and employees will attend in person, while others will participate virtually," the CMO said.

The government has also made it mandatory from June 1 to purchase only electric two-wheelers and four-wheelers for official use. Hiring of EVs for government work will also become compulsory from the same date.

However, the guidelines stated that the purchase of petrol or diesel vehicles may still be permitted under special circumstances.

The CMO said senior officials who have been allotted government vehicles for official use will now be required to carpool and commute using a single vehicle. The allocation for the use of official vehicles will also be reduced accordingly.

The Finance Department has been asked to issue detailed guidelines within 15 days specifying which categories of senior officers will be entitled to government vehicles.

The state government also directed officials and employees travelling to distant locations for official work to prefer buses or trains.

The Finance Department has additionally been asked to frame guidelines enabling officers who own electric vehicles to use them for official purposes.

The government also plans to introduce electric bus and minibus services for employees commuting to offices, particularly in areas with a high concentration of government staff.

The CMO said all offices must take concrete steps to reduce monthly petrol and diesel consumption for movement of government vehicles by at least 10 per cent.

The chief minister directed that the new measures be implemented strictly across all government and government-aided institutions, public sector undertakings, universities and societies in the state, beginning with the state secretariat.