No more 2-day WFH, staggered timings for Delhi govt employees: Rekha Gupta

In a sign of routine returning to government offices in the capital, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday ordered a rollback of the work-from-home measure and the staggered timings announced earlier, as the geopolitical situation normalised, PTI reported.

The move comes weeks after the Delhi government introduced the measures in May, days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's austerity push to conserve energy in view of the war in Iran and wider uncertainty linked to the West Asia conflict.

Announcing the decision, the Chief Minister's Office said, "Now that the geopolitical situation has practically normalised, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has approved withdrawal of Work from Home on Wednesdays & Saturdays. The order will be issued today." The withdrawal applies to the work-from-home arrangement for government employees on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Along with the change in the WFH policy, the Delhi government has also revised office timings for government employees. Under the revised schedule, GNCTD offices will function from 10 am to 6.30 pm, while the Municipal Corporation of Delhi will continue with its existing timings of 8.30 am to 5 pm.

The decision rolls back a set of austerity and fuel-saving measures announced earlier by the Delhi government. In May, Gupta had introduced two days of work from home each week and a "Metro Monday" initiative under which ministers and senior officials were encouraged to use public transport. The government had also announced a one-year freeze on official foreign visits for ministers and officers and a six-month ban on the purchase of new petrol, diesel, CNG or hybrid vehicles for the Delhi government. The Chief Minister had also urged citizens to observe a weekly "No Vehicle Day" and encouraged institutions to maximise online hearings and lectures to reduce transport needs.

With the situation now being seen as stable, the Delhi government has moved to withdraw the Wednesday and Saturday work-from-home arrangement and revise office timings, marking a return to regular operations after the measures introduced in May.