Delhi govt ends Work-From-Home policy as West Asia situation improves

New Delhi, July 4 (IANS) The Delhi government has withdrawn the Work-From-Home (WFH) arrangement and staggered office timings for its employees, citing an improvement in the geopolitical situation in West Asia following reports of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday approved the rollback of the measures, which had been introduced earlier this year as part of the government’s fuel conservation and energy-saving initiative.

Confirming the decision, the Chief Minister’s Office said in a statement, “Now that the geopolitical situation has practically normalised, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has approved withdrawal of Work-From-Home on Wednesdays and Saturdays.”

With the revised order coming into effect, Delhi government employees will now return to their regular office schedule from 10 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. The work schedule for employees of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), however, remains unchanged, with office hours continuing from 8.30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The hybrid work arrangement had been introduced in May this year, under which Delhi government employees were directed to work from their homes on two days every week.

The decision followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for responsible fuel consumption and prudent expenditure amid uncertainty arising from the US-Iran conflict and concerns over global energy supplies.

Alongside the Work-From-Home arrangement, the Delhi government had unveiled a broader package of fuel-saving measures intended to reduce fuel consumption and ease pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves.

As part of the initiative, nearly half of all official meetings were shifted to virtual mode to minimise travel requirements. The government also introduced staggered office timings across departments under the Delhi government and the MCD to reduce traffic congestion during peak hours and curb fuel consumption.

The administration further restricted the use of official vehicles by reducing the monthly petrol entitlement for officers by 20 per cent, lowering the allocation from 200 litres. It also announced that no new government vehicles would be purchased for a period of six months.

–IANS

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