The Chhattisgarh government on Saturday introduced a fresh set of measures to control public spending. The move is aimed at enforcing financial discipline across departments. The guidelines, issued by the Finance Department, have come into immediate effect and will remain in force till September 30, 2026.
Finance Secretary Dr Rohit Yadav has issued the directions to all departments, divisional commissioners, collectors and heads of departments. They have been asked to ensure careful use of government resources and keep a close check on avoidable expenditure.
The use of vehicles in official convoys will now be restricted. Only essential vehicles will be allowed in the carcade of the Chief Minister, ministers, and office-bearers of boards, corporations and commissions. Departments have also been advised to limit the use of other official resources.
The government has directed departments to begin a phased shift towards electric vehicles. The move is expected to reduce fuel costs and support environmental conservation. Instructions have been issued to keep spending on petrol and diesel to a minimum. Officials travelling in the same direction will be encouraged to use pooled vehicles.
Foreign trips by government officials at state expense have been largely restricted. It will be allowed only in unavoidable circumstances and with prior approval from the Chief Minister.
The Finance Department has also asked departments to reduce physical meetings. Virtual meetings are to be preferred, while in-person meetings should, as far as possible, be limited to once a month. Most review meetings will be held through video conferencing. Energy conservation has been given special attention. Offices must ensure that lights, fans, air conditioners and computers are switched off after working hours to prevent wastage.
The government has also emphasised the use of digital systems. Printed documents in meetings are to be replaced with electronic formats such as PDFs and presentations. Official correspondence and file movement will be carried out through the e-Office system.
Departments have also been asked to make greater use of the iGOT Karmayogi portal for training programmes instead of organising physical sessions. They have been directed to upload their training modules on the platform.