The Odisha government has implemented a comprehensive electric vehicle mandate for all government departments, with all new two-wheelers and four-wheelers purchased by government offices required to be EVs from June 1, 2026. According to reports from Business Standard, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has directed that all four-wheelers hired on rent by departments must also be electric vehicles, while purchase of petrol- and diesel-run vehicles will be allowed only under special requirements. The policy extends beyond vehicle purchases to include all four-wheelers hired on rent by departments must also be EVs. The landmark order was issued on May 21, 2026, making Odisha one of the leading states in promoting electric mobility. The Finance Department has been directed to prepare guidelines within 15 days specifying which categories of senior officers will be eligible for personal use of government vehicles.
The government has issued an eight-point directive mandating virtual official meetings wherever possible, with government-level meetings, reviews, training programmes and workshops to be conducted in virtual mode unless physical presence is absolutely necessary. As per the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), "In cases where physical presence is required, only essential officers and employees will attend in person, while others will participate virtually." The directive was issued on Friday following Chief Minister Majhi's earlier reduction of his official convoy following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to spend wisely. The measures aim to reduce fuel consumption and promote digital governance across the state.
As part of the austerity measures, officers and employees will use public transport like buses and trains instead of individual government vehicles when traveling to distant places for official work, according to the directive. The government will introduce electric bus and minibus services for government employees commuting from residential clusters to offices in urban areas where many staff members reside. Senior officers who have been allotted government vehicles will now be required to carpool and share vehicles for commuting, with the expenditure incurred on using government vehicles expected to be brought down by half. Fuel allocation for such vehicles will be reduced by half, so if an officer's vehicle used to get 100 litres of fuel per month, it will now get only 50 litres. The CMO has stated that senior officials who have been allotted government vehicles for official use will now be required to carpool and commute using a single vehicle.
The Finance Department has been asked to frame detailed guidelines within 15 days specifying which categories of senior officers will be entitled to use government vehicles for official purposes, as reported by Business Standard. The department will also prepare a standard operating procedure on how officers can use their EVs for official purposes. Every government office has been directed to take conscious measures to reduce monthly consumption of petrol and diesel used for government vehicles by at least 10 per cent. The Chief Minister has ordered strict implementation of these measures beginning with the State Secretariat and extending to all government and non-government undertakings, autonomous institutions, universities, and societies functioning under the state government. All government departments in Odisha have been given a clear target to ensure at least a 10% reduction in monthly fuel consumption for government vehicles, with departments required to track their fuel use and report their savings. The government has additionally directed the Finance Department to frame guidelines enabling officers who own electric vehicles to use them for official purposes.
