Delhi gov't announces new austerity measures to save fuel, forex

NEW DELHI, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The Delhi government on Thursday announced a slew of austerity measures in a bid to save fuel after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to the country to avoid unnecessary travel to save foreign exchange amid rising international crude prices.

India has not yet witnessed any increase in fuel prices. The austerity measures included work-from-home for two days a week, preference for online meetings, change in office timings, observing one day per week as no car day, and choosing public transport over private vehicles.

Addressing media persons, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said that the new measures to save fuel would also apply to private organizations, companies and institutions. The Delhi Government's Labor Department would be monitoring to ensure that the measures were followed strictly.

Further, the Delhi government also decided to reduce the use of official vehicles, cut down the permissible limits of fuel for officials by 20 percent, and not buy any new cars for the next six months. Enditem