Maha govt halves ministers’ convoys

Nagpur: Maharashtra govt on Wednesday ordered immediate reduction in the number of vehicles in the convoys of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and all ministers, as part of a broader austerity and energy-saving drive initiated in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal for fuel and foreign exchange conservation.The decisions were taken during two high-level review meetings chaired by Fadnavis, where the govt discussed measures aimed at reducing official expenditure, fuel consumption and non-essential travel.Under the new directives, the number of vehicles in the chief minister's and ministers' convoys will be reduced by half with immediate effect. The govt also made police commissioners and superintendents of police responsible for ensuring that convoy sizes do not exceed prescribed limits during outstation visits.The state further directed ministers and senior officials to avoid foreign tours until further orders. Ministers have also been advised to refrain from using govt aircraft and helicopters unless absolutely necessary and instead opt for scheduled commercial flights.In another key decision, the govt asked ministers and officials to increase use of public transport systems such as metro rail services. As part of the first phase, ministers and senior bureaucrats have been encouraged to adopt public transport for at least one day as an experimental initiative.The administration also instructed departments to rely more heavily on videoconferencing instead of routinely calling officials to Mumbai for meetings. Officials were further directed to conduct a detailed review of govt vehicles allotted across departments.As part of energy conservation measures, the govt ordered stricter action against unnecessary hoardings and flex boards and directed authorities to curb decorative lighting at such locations. Senior govt officials attended the meetings.