A day after cutting the number of vehicles in his convoy by 50 per cent in response to the call by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for cutting down fuel consumption in the wake of conflict in West Asia, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday appealed for austerity, urging the administration and public to embrace a culture of savings, responsible spending and sustainable living.
At a Cabinet meeting held in the Secretariat in Amaravati on Thursday, the Chief Minister announced that the government would soon launch ‘My Nation – My Responsibility’, a public awareness campaign aimed at encouraging people to adopt disciplined financial habits and avoid unnecessary expenditure.
Making it clear that symbolic gestures would not help, Mr. Naidu said reducing the security convoys for Ministers and VIPs is a beginning. “The government must identify several other areas where public money can be saved,” he said.
He instructed the Ministers to cut down expenditure during the district visits and advised the officials to avoid foreign tours, unless necessary.
Stressing the importance of technology-driven governance, Mr. Naidu pushed for wider use of virtual meetings and digital administration to reduce operational costs. He suggested exploring the feasibility of work-from-home systems in suitable sectors.
In a move that sparked discussion within bureaucratic circles, Mr. Naidu sought details of the number of official vehicles being used by IAS officers.
Learning that some senior officials, including those in the CMO, handling multiple departments, were using four to five vehicles, he ordered that every officer must use only one official vehicle as part of austerity reforms.
Energy conservation
The Chief Minister also stressed energy conservation, directing all government offices to maintain the air-conditioner temperatures between 24 °C and 26 °C. Advocating sustainable practices, he called for large-scale promotion of electric vehicles and solar energy across the State.
Mr. Naidu urged citizens to contribute to the national cause through energy conservation, productive savings and responsible consumption.