Agartala, May 15: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha clarified that the state government has no plans to impose a lockdown, even as it introduced fuel-conservation measures in government offices amid concerns over supply chain disruptions.
The clarification came a day after the state government directed departments to allow 50 per cent of Group C and Group D employees to work from home with immediate effect as part of an austerity initiative aimed at reducing fuel consumption.
“There is no plan to impose lockdown in the state,” Saha told reporters, stating that the hybrid work arrangement had been introduced only as a precautionary step to avoid “unnecessary fuel consumption”.
The Chief Minister said the Centre’s concerns were linked to disruptions in international supply chains, which have affected fuel availability and consumption patterns. He added that the government expected people to respond positively to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for austerity measures, similar to the public cooperation witnessed during the COVID-19 period.
Under the new arrangement, the work-from-home system will mainly apply to lower-rung government employees, with officials expecting reduced commuting to help ease fuel demand. Senior officials, however, will continue attending offices regularly to ensure that administrative work proceeds without disruption.
Saha also revealed that he had personally reduced the number of vehicles in his security convoy from seven to four as part of the fuel-saving effort. He indicated that similar austerity measures could be implemented across various departments to support the broader conservation drive.
The Tripura government has not announced any additional restrictions and maintained that essential services and normal public activities across the state would continue uninterrupted.
