Amid rising global energy prices triggered by the ongoing West Asia conflict, BJP Chief Whip of the Tripura Legislative Assembly, Kalyani Roy, on Friday urged the state government to introduce a four-day work week for government employees as part of fuel-saving austerity measures.

The proposal comes following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to citizens to conserve fuel, revive work-from-home practices, reduce unnecessary expenditure, and limit foreign travel in view of the global energy crisis.

In Tripura, starting from Chief Minister to other cabinet ministers and few top government officials has also reduced their convoy strength and some of them have started going to their respective offices by availing the facilities of e-rickshaws and bicycles.

Addressing a press conference, Roy suggested that government employees could work four days a week with extended office hours, increasing the daily schedule from the existing eight hours to around nine hours.

“At present, 50 per cent of Group C and D employees are attending offices while the remaining staff are working from home from May 14 as part of the government’s austerity measures. A four-day work week can further help reduce fuel consumption,” she said.

Roy stressed the need for people to follow the Prime Minister’s appeal seriously, stating that the duration of the West Asia conflict remains uncertain.

She also highlighted that Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha, cabinet ministers, and MLAs in the state have already reduced the number of escort vehicles in their convoys as part of the fuel-saving initiative. According to her, several ministers and senior officials have also started using public transport, e-rickshaws, and bicycles for short-distance travel.

Appealing to the public to adopt austerity measures, Roy encouraged citizens to use public transportation and eco-friendly modes of travel wherever possible.

She further noted that the government’s e-office system, implemented from the Civil Secretariat down to the Gram Panchayat level, has made remote functioning easier. However, she added that support from Group C and D employees remains essential for maintaining administrative operations effectively.

“Therefore, I appeal to the government to consider introducing a four-day working week with slightly extended office hours,” Roy said.