Gangtok, May 15: Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang announced a wide-ranging austerity drive across the state, introducing strict fuel conservation and expenditure-control measures in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for responsible governance and resource management.
The decisions were announced during a high-level administrative meeting attended by Cabinet ministers, MLAs, senior bureaucrats, district officials and police officers, with participation from other districts through virtual mode.
As part of the new austerity framework, the state government has imposed a one-year ban on the purchase of new government vehicles across all departments and offices. Emergency service vehicles and police vehicles have been exempted from the restriction due to operational requirements and public safety considerations.
Officials said the move is aimed at reducing public expenditure, improving administrative efficiency and ensuring optimum utilisation of existing government resources amid growing global economic and energy concerns.
In one of the most significant announcements, Tamang declared a 50 per cent reduction in his official motorcade as a symbolic step towards encouraging fuel conservation and public participation in the initiative.
The government has also withdrawn pilot vehicles allotted to the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly. Additionally, fuel consumption for vehicles assigned to ministers and MLAs will be reduced by 20 per cent.
To further regulate fuel usage, the state will implement an odd-even vehicle system across all districts. However, emergency and essential service vehicles will remain outside the scope of the restrictions.
Departments have also been directed to adopt pool vehicle systems and encourage officials to walk for nearby meetings whenever feasible. The administration has simultaneously pushed for increased use of public transport, virtual meetings and digital coordination under what it described as a “digital-first” governance model.
Restrictions have further been imposed on inter-district and out-of-state travel by government employees using official vehicles unless such travel is deemed absolutely necessary.
All Officers on Special Duty and Chairpersons have additionally been instructed to remain stationed in their respective constituencies and avoid unnecessary movement.
In another key decision, the Chief Minister announced that 50 per cent of government employees would work from home wherever feasible to reduce commuting and operational costs. Foreign travel by government officials has also been suspended for one year.
The government further stated that Saturdays and Sundays would continue as non-working days, during which official government vehicles would not be allowed to ply except in emergency situations.
Officials said the measures reflect the government’s effort to prioritise essential expenditure while strengthening financial discipline and efficient governance.
Appealing for public cooperation, Tamang described the decisions as temporary but necessary in the larger interest of both Sikkim and the country. A detailed notification regarding implementation of the new directives is expected to be issued shortly by the Home Department.
