Delhi CM announces 2 days WFH for government offices amid PM Modi’s austerity push

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday announced a two-day mandatory work-from-home directive for government sector employees. Private sector has also been urged to follow. Overall the measures place remote work at the centre of a broader fuel-saving and traffic reduction push that will roll out from Friday.

The move comes as part of a broader set of energy conservation measures announced by the government, including a 20% reduction in monthly fuel allowances for government officials, encouragement for ministers and staff to use the Metro every Monday under a “Metro Monday” initiative, and an appeal to citizens to observe one “No Vehicle Day” each week to curb fuel use and traffic congestion.

The government has also decided to suspend the purchase of new official vehicles for six months and reduce the size of official motorcades, alongside a push for greater use of public transport and reduced reliance on personal and departmental vehicles for routine travel.

To further stagger peak-hour traffic, Delhi government offices will now operate from 10:30 am to 7:00 pm, while Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) offices will function from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. The administration has also proposed shifting 50 per cent of official meetings online to reduce routine inter-office travel.