Cut fuel, work from home, rewards for lower vehicle use: Power Ministry’s advisory to 16 CPSUs
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ May 15,2026
The Ministry of Power has issued an advisory to its PSUs to evaluate the possibility of allowing 20% of staff to work from home.
The advisory further said that the central public sector undertakings will be required to identify officials who can work from home at least one day in a week. The advisory will come into effect from May 18.
The development is seen as a direct result of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to the country to cut down on fuel usage, in view of the crisis in West Asia that has strained energy supplies.
Ministry shared a message on its social media platform X said “Under the initiative called “RAHI:- Action for High efficiency Initiative’, all the officers/officials of Ministry, CPSUs and Organizations under the Ministry are encouraged to take part in this pilot.
The Power Ministry’s initiative, RAHI (Responsible Action for High Efficiency Initiative), encourages officials to use public transport, and curb unnecessary travel. The officers that demonstrate a month-on-month reduction in the use of their personal vehicles will be rewarded.
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) @beeindiadigital in conjunction with The Ministry of Power is undertaking a pilot behavioral change initiative to encourage officers/officials of the ministry and its CPSUs to use public transport and vehicles prudently.
The initiative’s slogan “देशभक्ति का एक कदम, ईंधन उपयोग कम से कम”, captures its essence. Those who choose to participate, may register all vehicles used or owned by them (official or personal) on a portal that is being developed.
It will help monitor the monthly usage of their vehicles. Ones who manage to reduce their vehicle usage shall be recognized as per a small reward scheme.
A 10-20% reduction in vehicle usage will attract an incentive of Rs 500; a 21-30% reduction will earn Rs 1,000; a 31-40% reduction will fetch Rs 1,500; a 41-50% reduction will result in Rs 2,000; and over 50% reduction in vehicle usage will attract an incentive of Rs 2,500.
Speaking at an event in Telangana, Modi called for the revival of several Covid-era practices, including work-from-home arrangements, virtual meetings and online conferences, while also encouraging the use of public transport, car-pooling, electric vehicles and rail freight.
The ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran has severely disrupted global oil and gas markets, leading to shortages and price increases in several countries.
