Gurugram: The Haryana government has banned all rallies, vehicle processions and road shows in the state until September, instructing the district administration and police not to grant permission for such events, in a sweeping order that comes as political activity increases in the wake of exam paper leak controversies.
The ban, part of a wide-ranging austerity and fuel conservation circular issued by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi on 10 June, also says that no approval will be granted for foreign travel, whether official or personal, by government servants and employees of boards, corporations, and local bodies until September this year.
The circular combines expenditure cuts, fuel-conservation measures and administrative restrictions that affect both government functioning and public activities. Besides banning rallies and road shows, it mandates reductions in official vehicle use, limits advertising expenditure, promotes work-from-home arrangements and directs departments to shift towards electric mobility.
“After the Covid pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the ongoing West Asian crisis have created a serious impact on the global supply chain, especially in relation to fuel, precious metals, food items and fertilisers,” says the circular. “Due to this global crisis, fuel costs, import dependence and economic pressure in India are increasing.”
The circular is addressed to all administrative secretaries, heads of departments, managing directors and chief administrators of boards and corporations, divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, and university registrars across Haryana.
The circular has 25 directives for government departments and 12 advisories for the general public, and has been simultaneously forwarded to the Secretary of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha and the Registrar General of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
A government functionary told The Print that the order is nothing but an extension of what Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his appeal to the nation.
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The order is self-contradictory: Hooda
Former Haryana CM and Leader of Opposition in the Haryana Assembly Bhupinder Singh Hooda slammed the order, especially the ban on rallies, saying it was “self-contradictory”.
“On one hand, the government has directed the administration and police not to grant permission for any rally or gathering for any purpose till September. On the other hand, the advisory to citizens only encourages them to minimise unnecessary gatherings and rallies,” Hooda told ThePrint on Thursday.
“If rallies are banned for everyone, why is the public only being advised to minimise them? The answer is simple: this is not an austerity measure; this is a political measure. The BJP government wants to stop the Opposition from holding public programmes while leaving itself a window to do what it likes. A genuine fuel conservation order does not need two different standards for the government and the public.”
Hooda wondered why the government doesn’t declare a petroleum emergency if the situation is truly alarming.
No rallies, no gatherings, no shows
The circular’s most politically significant directive instructs district administration and police not to grant any permission for any gathering, rally, vehicle procession, road show or similar event for any purpose till September 2026.
It comes amid an increase in political activity following the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak. Last week, the Youth Congress held a huge protest in Kurukshetra demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
It also orders that public expenditure on functions, festivities, seminars, working lunches, dinners and entertainment should be avoided. No gathering of public or officials is to be held unless extremely necessary.
The circular does not define exceptions to the rally and procession ban, nor does it specify whether religious or social events would be treated differently from political ones, leaving the implementation largely at the discretion of the district administration and police.
Foreign travel suspended
No approval will be granted for foreign travel, whether official or personal, by government servants and employees of boards, corporations, and local bodies till September 2026.
The only exception carved out is for medical treatment abroad. The Foreign Cooperation Department has been separately asked to request that Indian diaspora associations encourage their members to spend their holidays in India.
Fuel budgets slashed
The circular directs the Finance Department to impose a 20 percent cut in petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL) expenditure of all departments until September 2026.
A dedicated portal will be developed for monitoring savings in fuel expenditure across government organisations, and every head of department will be required to upload a certificate at the end of every month certifying at least a 10 percent reduction in vehicle usage in the department.
The order says the number of vehicles in VVIP convoys are to be reduced by 50 percent, subject to security considerations. The frequency of public transport and bus services is to be increased.
Non-EV purchase ban
There shall be a complete ban on the purchase of non-EV vehicles by all government departments, boards, corporations and commissions till September 2026.
Charging stations and networks for electric vehicles are to be expanded on priority, and the circular recommends implementing cycle lanes and public bicycle-sharing schemes in urban areas.
Online meetings, staggered offices
At least 50 percent of all government meetings at every level are to be held through video conferencing, and movement of government employees is to be minimised.
The Industries Department has been asked to engage with NASSCOM, CII and FICCI to encourage work-from-home wherever feasible, with different time slots to avoid traffic congestion.
In government buildings, air-conditioners are to be maintained at 24-26 degrees Celsius, unnecessary and decorative lighting is to be controlled, and office timings may be shifted by one hour to better utilise daylight hours.
Advertising curtailed
Expenditure on public advertisements is to be minimised.
DIPR and other government agencies and public-funded organisations are to ensure that expenditure on banners, posters and flex-boards is kept to a minimum, and no newspaper advertisement larger than one-fourth of a page shall be published.
A public awareness campaign themed “Mera Bharat, Mera Yogdan” is to be run, with DIPR tasked to push it on social media.
Agriculture and energy
The Agriculture Department has been directed to increase oilseed production and provide farmers training in natural farming, zero budget farming and bio-inputs.
Non-agricultural use and smuggling of fertilisers are to be controlled. The circular asks that municipal solid waste be utilised for energy or compressed biogas generation, and that approvals for mining, solar and power projects be expedited.
The Health Department is to launch public awareness campaigns on the health benefits of low-oil food, and review oil consumption in government-run schools, hospitals and canteens. ASHA workers, self-help groups and women’s groups are to be trained on reduced use of oil in meals.
Public advisories
For citizens, the government has advised avoiding unnecessary foreign travel, minimising large gatherings and public events, using school buses, public transport and carpooling, and shifting to electric vehicles.
Ministers, MLAs, government officers and employees have been specifically encouraged to use public transport wherever feasible.
Citizens have been asked to avoid or defer gold purchases for one year, while jewellers and the general public have been advised to encourage reuse of old ornaments.
Hotels, dhabas and street-food vendors have been asked to adopt low-oil menu practices.
NRIs have been encouraged to hold destination weddings in Haryana, and local GI-tagged products and handicrafts are to be promoted at festivals and wedding ceremonies.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
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