Ghaziabad DM asks officials to carpool, hold virtual meetings amid fuel-saving push

On Wednesday, Yogi Adityanath called upon members of the state cabinet to use public transport at least one day a week. He also urged ministers to reduce their vehicle fleets by up to 50%

The Ghaziabad district magistrate called on administrative officials on Friday and directed them to carpool or bike-pool to reach office and conduct virtual meetings in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to limit fuel consumption in view of the ongoing crisis in West Asia, officials said.

Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to reduce fuel usage, Ghaziabad district magistrate Ravindra Kumar Mandar bike-pools to work on Friday morning. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

District magistrate Ravinder Kumar Mandar himself arrived at office on Friday morning riding pillion on a motorcycle. He told mediapersons that he decided to share a bike ride in line with Modi’s appeal to cut down fuel consumption.

“I called administrative officials and connected with them virtually. I asked them to carpool or bike-pool to reach workplaces. Since their official residences are not far from the district headquarters, we asked them to carpool and restrict excessive car usage,” the DM told mediapersons during a press briefing at the district headquarters on Friday afternoon.

The residences of administrative officials are barely 300-400 metres from the district headquarters in Raj Nagar.

Earlier on Sunday, Narendra Modi had appealed to citizens to adopt austerity measures for a year, including reducing petrol and diesel consumption, postponing foreign travel, cutting edible oil use and avoiding gold purchases.

The measures were announced as the government grappled with the economic fallout of the ongoing global energy crisis triggered by the conflict involving Israel, the United States and Iran in the Middle East.

“The idea is to minimise fuel use and utilise public transport. We also decided to hold meetings virtually and have asked departmental heads to follow suit. We will not use escort vehicles; they will be used only in law and order or emergency situations. I also asked officials to take trains when they travel to their hometowns,” Mandar added.

On Wednesday, Yogi Adityanath called upon members of the state cabinet to use public transport at least one day a week. He also urged ministers to reduce their vehicle fleets by up to 50%. Along with this, the CM directed all ministers and senior officials to avoid unnecessary foreign travel for the next six months.

“Under the current global circumstances, fuel conservation is not merely an economic necessity but also a national responsibility,” the Uttar Pradesh information department said in a statement issued on May 13.

Referring to Modi’s appeal to minimise petrol and diesel consumption, it quoted the CM as saying, “The Uttar Pradesh cabinet should itself set an example.”