Gandhinagar, May 13 Gujarat Director General of Police (DGP) K. L. N. Rao on Wednesday instructed that escort and pilot vehicle facilities be restricted only to dignitaries entitled to them under specified categories, as the state police announced a series of measures aimed at reducing fuel consumption and cutting the use of government resources.
The directions were issued during a video conference attended by senior police officers, heads of city and district police units, and field formations across Gujarat.
Dr Rao said, "Pilot vehicles and guide cars should be avoided in normal circumstances and used only when unavoidable. In such cases, police units have been instructed to use motorbikes for movement within cities and four-wheelers on highways."
He further added, "Escort and piloting facilities will be allocated only to dignitaries eligible under the prescribed category."
The measures form part of a wider push towards fuel conservation following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appeal for austerity and reduced fuel consumption amid rising global energy concerns linked to tensions in West Asia.
In public addresses in Hyderabad, Telangana, and Gujarat earlier this week, Modi urged citizens to reduce petrol and diesel consumption, use public transport and metro services, adopt carpooling, increase the use of electric vehicles, avoid unnecessary travel, and work from home where possible to conserve resources and foreign exchange reserves.
The Prime Minister has also reduced the size of his own convoy during recent visits to Gujarat and Assam while retaining mandatory security arrangements, according to multiple reports.
Announcing administrative changes within the police department, Dr Rao directed that all departmental meetings and crime conferences be conducted compulsorily through video conferencing.
Discussions relating to investigation and supervision are also to be conducted by telephonic communication between the investigating and supervising officers, wherever possible.
Regarding court-related work, the state police chief instructed officers to avoid travelling in person for consultations and briefings with government lawyers and instead use telephone or other communication platforms.
He further directed that, under the ‘Nyayshruti’ project, priority should be given to recording testimony and statements via online video conferencing to reduce travel time and expenditure.
The police department also issued directions concerning deployment for bandobast (management) duties.
Personnel are to be deployed from nearby police stations, where possible, while common pick-up points are to be identified so staff can travel together in a single vehicle.
Officers were also asked to use public transport where necessary.
Separately, the Gujarat Information Commission announced that State Information Commissioners had started implementing carpooling from Tuesday in response to the Prime Minister’s appeal for fuel conservation.
The Commission said it had set a target of reducing car fuel consumption by 35 per cent or more through the initiative.
--IANS
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