Guwahati, May 20: The Assam government has announced a series of austerity measures aimed at ensuring fiscal discipline in the wake of the ongoing crisis in West Asia. The measures, issued through an executive order by Finance Commissioner and Secretary Jayant Narlikar on Monday, mandate a 20 per cent reduction in fuel expenditure and a 10 per cent cut in revenue and establishment spending, excluding salaries, pensions, debt repayment, and charged expenditures.

The directive calls for downsizing ministerial convoys, restricting inter-district movement of security forces, and promoting electric vehicles for official use. Departments have been instructed to prioritise public transport, carpooling, and EV adoption, while the Guwahati Municipal Corporation has been tasked with transitioning towards a fully green public transport system within the next year.

Foreign visits by ministers and officials have been deferred for six months, except in cases of national or strategic necessity, while the purchase of new government vehicles has been banned during the same period. Obsolete vehicles are to be scrapped immediately, and non-essential travel, official dinners, cultural functions, and lavish hospitality arrangements have been discouraged.

The order also emphasises energy audits to reduce electricity wastage, rationalisation of user charges and licence fees, and commercial utilisation of government assets to boost revenue. Departments have been directed to ensure that all revenue-generating activities are conducted through the Electronic Government Receipt Accounting System (e-GRAS).

Narlikar Emphasized that the measures are intended to promote fiscal prudence without impairing administrative efficiency, stressing the need for heightened readiness and national solidarity. The government has asked all employees to exercise economy in personal fuel consumption and urged municipal authorities to minimise wasteful use of electricity, including street lighting.