Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday, 15 May chaired a virtual review meeting from the Delhi Secretariat, opting for video conferencing in direct response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's national call for energy conservation, resource-saving, and a responsible lifestyle. The meeting covered monsoon preparedness, the functioning of Atal Canteens and Arogya Mandirs, and a range of administrative directives issued to senior officials across the capital.

Key Directives from the Meeting

Chief Minister Gupta held the video conference with the Divisional Commissioner, all District Magistrates (DMs), and senior departmental officials. She directed them to maximise the use of online platforms for government meetings, stating that doing so would conserve fuel, time, and public resources. Officials were also asked to adopt energy-saving practices within offices and cultivate a more responsible administrative work culture.

A significant operational instruction was the mandate for all departments to achieve at least a 20 per cent reduction in fuel expenditure on official vehicles — a concrete, measurable target that goes beyond symbolic gestures.

Metro Monday and No Vehicle Day Push

Gupta stressed the importance of the 'Metro Monday' initiative, directing government officers and employees to use the Metro or public transport on at least one day each week. She also issued directions to effectively implement a 'No Vehicle Day' once a week across departments. The Chief Minister framed these steps as necessary to send a positive signal to Delhi's residents about the government's commitment to sustainable urban mobility.

Monsoon Preparedness and Public Infrastructure

Reviewing the capital's readiness for the approaching monsoon season, Gupta directed officials to identify waterlogging-prone areas and take pre-emptive corrective action. She specified that no drains should be left open in any locality and that dangerous trees must be removed immediately to prevent hazards during heavy rainfall.

Officials were additionally instructed to speed up the rollout of Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connections in their respective areas and to assist residents in completing the process. Regular inspections of Atal Canteens, Arogya Mandirs, fire department offices, and other public utility centres were also mandated to ensure standards are maintained.

Transparency and Public Communication

The Chief Minister directed all officials to regularly share updates on ongoing works and corrective actions through social media, aiming to provide citizens with transparent information about government functioning. She emphasised that the Delhi government is committed to transforming PM Modi's 'Mera Bharat, Mera Yogdan' campaign from a top-down government initiative into a broad-based public movement driven by citizen participation.

This comes amid a wider push by the Centre for states to align administrative practices with energy conservation goals — a theme that has gained fresh urgency ahead of the summer peak demand period. The Delhi government's adoption of virtual meetings signals an early compliance step, though the effectiveness of the fuel and electricity reduction targets will depend on consistent monitoring at the district level.