Gujarat tightens spending rules across govt bodies

Gandhinagar: In wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for prudency in use of resources, the state general administration department on Tuesday issued austerity guidelines that will be applicable to employees of all govt departments, boards and corporations, govt companies, autonomous bodies, local self govt bodies, universities and grant-in-aid institutions.The guidelines recommends that employees cut down on official travel, prefer holding meetings online or through video conferencing and maximizing other digital communication methods.The guidelines have asked officers and employees to avoid foreign travel for seminars, conferences or study tours, allowing these only in unavoidable circumstances. Officials have been asked to attend meetings organised by the Union govt online.Bringing about a strict control over govt vehicle usage, the guidelines state that departments must maximize shared vehicle usage, excess vehicles must be deposited in the vehicle pool and officers must prefer to use EVs and hybrid vehicles instead of those running on fossil fuels. The guidelines encourage govt employees to use public transport and reduce private vehicle usage.All govt canteens will be equipped with PNG connections within the next six months. Departments have been asked to prioritize use of local products and run public awareness campaigns asking people to refrain from panic buying and unnecessary stockpiling.