Uttarakhand to halve ministerial convoys, observe weekly No Vehicle Day

Uttarakhand has halved its CM and minister convoy sizes and will observe a weekly ‘No Vehicle Day’ to conserve fuel.

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Uttarakhand cabinet on Wednesday announced that the number of vehicles in the chief minister’s and ministers’ convoys would be reduced by half, and the state would observe one “No Vehicle Day” every week as part of a wider energy-conservation plan. The decision came after PM Narendra Modi’s appeal for fuel saving and sustainable practices, with govt saying officials would work from home wherever feasible on the weekly no-vehicle day and the public would also be encouraged to participate voluntarily.

Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the Covid pandemic, Russia-Ukraine conflict and the ongoing West Asia crisis had increased pressure on global supply chains, especially for fuel, food items and fertilisers. “Due to this global crisis, India is also facing rising fuel costs, import dependency and economic pressure. PM has appealed to citizens to support national efforts through small, practical behavioural changes, and in this context, several short-term and long-term reforms are being implemented in Uttarakhand with immediate effect,” he said.

As part of the broader fuel-saving measures, govt said it would make efforts to restrict the use of air-conditioners in govt and private buildings, promote video-conferencing across departments to reduce unnecessary travel, and encourage work from home in the private sector. People would also be encouraged to use public transport more frequently, while transport department was directed to increase the service and capacity of public buses.

Cabinet also approved a “One Officer, One Vehicle” policy, under which officers handling multiple departments would be allowed to use only one official vehicle per day. Govt said an updated electric vehicle (EV) policy would be introduced soon, and 50% of all new govt vehicle purchases would have to be EVs. Charging stations and EV networks would be expanded on priority.

Govt also decided to curtail official foreign travel as part of the austerity and energy-conservation measures. Domestic tourism would be promoted through “Visit My State” campaign, with extensive publicity for heritage, religious, wellness, rural and eco-tourism circuits. Destination weddings in Uttarakhand would be encouraged through a single-window clearance system, and non-resident Indians (NRIs) would be motivated to spend holidays in the state.

Public awareness campaigns such as “Mera Bharat, Mera Yogdan” would be run across Uttarakhand, while sales of local products would be increased under “Made in State” campaign. Govt procurement would have to strictly comply with “Make in India” rules, and citizens would be made aware about limiting gold purchases for one year.

Cabinet also decided to run public campaigns on the health benefits of low-oil food. Govt said it would review and reduce oil use in schools, hospitals and govt canteens, while hotels, dhabas and street-food vendors would be encouraged to adopt a “Low-Oil Menu”.

Farmers would be trained in natural farming, zero-budget farming and bio-inputs, while awareness campaigns would be conducted on balanced use of fertilisers and soil health. Piped natural gas (PNG) connections would be rolled out in mission mode, with priority for hotels, restaurants and govt residences. Rooftop solar would be promoted under PM Surya Ghar Yojana, while panchayati raj department and gram vikas department were directed to promote gobar gas, or biogas.

Govt said approvals for mining, solar and power projects would be expedited. A high powered committee under the chairmanship of chief secretary would clear proposals within 60 days.