Shimla, May 14 -- From announcing petrol-free Sundays to grounding helicopters, Himachal Pradesh governor Kavinder Gupta announced a comprehensive set of measures at Lok Bhavan aimed at reducing fuel consumption, promoting austerity, and positioning Himachal Pradesh as a model state in India's collective response to global energy challenges. This is in solidarity with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for fuel conservation and national self-reliance amid the West Asia crisis. The governor had announced petrol-free Sundays in Lok Bhavan, Shimla. Gupta on Wednesday through his social media post declared Lok Bhavan a 'Fuel Conservation Zone'. He announced that no official vehicle will use imported fuel on Sundays. He will give up his official vehicle one day every week, opting for an electric vehicle or carpooling instead. Taking the call of the PM on "work from home", the governor said that all Sundays' engagements will be via video conferencing. The governor through his social media post announced that his official convoy's size would be cut by half. He said that all non-essential meetings shifted to video conferencing to eliminate unnecessary travel. He has also grounded the state helicopter and announced that he will not use the state helicopter until the West Asia crisis subsides and fuel prices stabilise. "When the nation is being called upon to conserve every drop of fuel, it would be inappropriate for me to use the most fuel-intensive mode of official transport available," the governor said. He has written to the state government informing them about the austerity measures taken by him and urging the state government to put in place SoPs to conserve fuel and cut down in expenditure in view of the call given by the PM. The governor, who is also the chancellor of the 7 universities of Himachal Pradesh, has made a special appeal to vice-chancellors across the state to institutionalise fuel and energy conservation within their respective campuses immediately. He asked the VCs to issue formal advisories to faculty, staff, and students promoting carpooling, cycling, and use of public transport for daily commute. He called upon students to become ambassadors of the fuel conservation movement in their colleges, hostels, and home communities. Reaching out to the residents of the state, the governor appealed to citizens to adopt carpooling, use public transport, walk for short distances, and promote cycling as both a conservation and health measure. He made a special appeal to the youth of Himachal to actively participate in nation-building and strengthen the spirit of social responsibility and discipline within their communities. The governor also called upon the people of Himachal to embrace the "Vocal for Local" spirit and choose domestic tourism destinations over foreign travel. BJP state senior spokesperson Trilok Kapoor has welcomed the decisions taken by the governor regarding fuel conservation, describing these measures as an inspiring initiative aimed at serving the national interest, promoting simplicity, and ensuring accountability. He added that at a time when a global energy crisis and rising fuel prices remain matters of grave concern, it is highly commendable for an individual holding a constitutional office to take such a decision. Kapoor asserted that CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu should draw inspiration from this initiative and take concrete steps to curtail government expenditure....