Chandigarh, May 21 -- As part of the 'no-vehicle Wednesday' initiative, senior officials of the Chandigarh administration stepped out of their official vehicles and opted for bicycles, walking, public transport, and carpooling to reach their offices. The initiative was launched by Punjab governor and UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for austerity. Kataria travelled by an electric bus to Baltana to attend the foundation stone-laying ceremony of a railway under bridge (RUB) and later used an electric golf cart to reach the UT Secretariat in Chandigarh. Speaking to the media, Kataria stressed that conserving natural resources is the need of the hour and called for collective responsibility. "Even small initiatives can lead to significant change," he said, urging citizens to increasingly adopt public transport, electric vehicles, and other sustainable mobility options. Senior officers and employees of the Chandigarh administration also joined the effort. Leading from the front, chief secretary H Rajesh Prasad cycled to office. Calling the initiative a "welcome step", he said he personally uses cycling for fitness and urged citizens to adopt eco-friendly modes of transport to contribute towards national development. A number of senior officers followed suit. Home secretary Mandip Singh Brar, Chandigarh Police DGP Dr Sagar Preet Hooda, IGP Pushpender Kumar, director public relations Rajiv Tewari, sports director Sorabh Kumar Arora and chief engineer C B Ojha cycled to their workplaces. Chandigarh SSP Kanwardeep Kaur also joined the voluntary the initiative. Education secretary Prerna Puri and deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav chose to walk, while IT secretary D Karthikeyan, additional secretary (home) Amit Kumar, director transport Avikesh Gupta and additional secretary HAC Akhil Kumar commuted via CTU buses. Officials said the initiative is designed not only to cut fuel consumption and vehicular emissions but also to reduce traffic congestion and encourage healthier lifestyles through walking and cycling. Officials of the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) were also seen bicycling to their offices on Wednesday. MC officials stated that such initiatives not only contribute towards a cleaner and greener city but also inspire citizens to adopt healthier lifestyles. Employees appreciated the move and expressed their commitment towards supporting environment-friendly practices in day-to-day life....