Amid the West Asia crisis and its impact on global crude oil supplies, the Odisha government has made purchasing electric vehicles (EVs) mandatory for all government departments starting next month as part of austerity and fuel-conservation measures.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has directed that all new two-wheelers and four-wheelers purchased by government offices must be EVs from June 1. All four-wheelers hired on rent by departments must also be EVs, while purchase of petrol- and diesel-run vehicles will be allowed only under special requirements.
The move comes in the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealing to citizens to minimise unnecessary use of petrol and diesel in view of the volatile international situation and rising concerns over energy security.
Majhi had earlier halved the number of vehicles in his convoy and urged people to cut down avoidable fuel consumption. Extending the initiative to the administrative machinery, he asked Chief Secretary Anu Garg to implement a comprehensive eight-point guideline to reduce fuel use in government departments, public institutions, and government-supported organisations across the state.
As part of the austerity measures, virtual governance will now become the norm in the state administration. All official meetings, reviews, training programmes, and workshops will be conducted online unless physical presence is absolutely necessary. If in-person attendance is unavoidable, the officers and employees whose presence is essential will attend physically, while others will join virtually.
“Officers and employees will use public transport like buses and trains instead of individual government vehicles when travelling to distant places for official work. To further reduce fuel consumption, electric bus and minibus services will be introduced for government employees commuting from residential clusters to offices in urban areas where many staff members reside,” the CM said in his directive to the chief secretary.
The Odisha government has also rationalised the use of official vehicles for office work. Senior officers, who have been allotted government vehicles for official use, will now be required to carpool and share vehicles for commuting. As part of the measure, the expenditure incurred on using the government vehicles will be brought down by half.
In order to streamline official vehicle usage, the Finance Department has been asked to frame detailed guidelines within 15 days specifying which categories of senior officers will be entitled to use government vehicles for official purposes. The department will also prepare an SOP on how officers can use their EVs for official purposes.
As part of the fuel-saving initiative, every government office has been directed to take conscious measures to reduce monthly consumption of petrol and diesel used for government vehicles by at least 10 per cent.
The Chief Minister has ordered strict implementation of these measures beginning with the State Secretariat and extending to all government and non-government undertakings, autonomous institutions, universities, and societies functioning under the state government.
Officials said the measures will not only help conserve fuel amid global uncertainty, but also accelerate Odisha’s transition towards sustainable and energy-efficient governance. The state is already witnessing high demand for EVs in recent months despite charging infrastructure constraints.
