Delhi CM Rekha Gupta on Thursday announced that Delhi government employees will work from home for two days a week as part of austerity measures aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appeal. The Delhi government will also promote online meetings and restrict vehicle usage to the minimum possible, Gupta said.

“At government level, two days will be work from home every week,” the Chief Minister said.

She added that the private sector would also be advised to adopt work-from-home arrangements, with the labour department tasked with monitoring implementation.

“Private sector will be advised to give work from home. Labour dept will monitor this. They should give work from home,” Gupta said.

As part of the measures, Delhi government offices will now function from 10.30 am to 7 pm, while Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) offices will operate from 8.30 am to 5 pm to stagger peak-hour traffic. The government has also proposed shifting 50% of official meetings online to cut routine inter-office travel.

The announcements also include a 20% reduction in fuel allowances for government officials, a “Metro Monday” initiative encouraging ministers and staff to use public transport and a weekly “No Vehicle Day” appeal for citizens. The government has further imposed a six-month freeze on new official vehicle purchases, reduced motorcade usage, capped office AC temperatures between 24°C and 26°C and banned official foreign visits for one year.

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Additionally, the administration said it would push for greater freight movement through railways instead of roads and launch a 90-day “Made in India” awareness campaign to promote domestic products.

Earlier, in an X post on Tuesday, CM Gupta said, “…In internalising this important appeal of Hon’ble Prime Minister ji, a decision has been taken to limit the number of vehicles for departmental work. I, along with all my Cabinet colleagues, all MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party, public representatives, officers of the Delhi government, and all departments, will also use the minimum number of vehicles as per requirement and prioritise carpooling and public transport.”

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Other states have also rolled out similar austerity measures following the Prime Minister’s appeal for responsible resource utilisation. The Assam government has announced a series of restrictions for the next six months, including a freeze on the purchase of new vehicles and a ban on foreign travel for government officials, including private visits abroad.

The state has also decided to reduce the size of convoys used by the governor, the Chief Minister, MLAs and senior officials. In addition, the government aims to cut fuel expenses for official vehicles by 20% this year compared with last year.

As part of the cost-saving drive, all seminars and workshops organised during the six-month period will be held virtually. Authorities have also been directed to phase out and scrap fuel-intensive government vehicles that are 15 to 20 years old.