The Government of Sindh has decided to tighten austerity measures to deal with potential energy challenges, including a significant reduction in fuel usage and the grounding of government vehicles.
The decisions were taken during an important meeting of the austerity committee chaired by Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon. Provincial ministers Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Saeed Ghani, Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar and Mukesh Kumar Chawla, along with relevant officials, attended the meeting.
According to the decisions, fuel provided to government officials will be reduced by 50 percent, while 60 percent of government vehicles will be grounded immediately to prevent unnecessary fuel consumption. The reduction in fuel usage will also apply to vehicles used by government departments and local bodies.
However, operational vehicles such as police mobiles, ambulances, fire brigade vehicles and other essential service vehicles will be exempted from these restrictions.
The meeting discussed in detail the efficient use of energy, reduction in government expenditure and better management of resources without affecting the delivery of public services.
The committee authorized the Secretary General Administration (GA) to ground government vehicles and directed departments to submit daily reports on the implementation of the measures. It was also decided to develop a standard proforma to collect details and numbers of vehicles that will be grounded.
Officials warned that if any department violates the instructions, the relevant vehicle could be taken into custody. A monitoring committee comprising the Secretary GA and the Secretary Excise was formed to oversee implementation and take action in case of violations. The committee will also compile a comprehensive list of vehicles to be grounded.
The meeting also reviewed the procedure for identifying and recovering vehicles allocated to government projects. Departments were directed to provide details of all such vehicles and ensure their recovery at the earliest.
In addition, government offices across the province will operate four days a week as usual, while work from home will be observed on Fridays in line with the government’s decision.
The committee also discussed the implementation of other austerity-related decisions taken by the provincial cabinet. It was decided that schools across the province will remain closed from March 16 to March 31, while examinations will be conducted according to the scheduled timetable and will not be postponed.
Sharjeel Inam Memon said the measures were aimed at ensuring prudent use of resources in the prevailing situation. He added that the steps were intended to reduce energy consumption without affecting public service delivery and directed all departments to strictly implement the austerity measures.