DIPR DG Banshidhar Tiwari came to office by bicycle

DAINIK NATION/ DEHRADUN

IN a bid to save fuel and environment Uttarakhand Information department’s DG Banshidhar Tiwari on Saturday came to his office by bicyle. With this he has officially launched the “No Vehicle Day” initiative for the state’s DIPR.

Tiwari—who holds multiple high-profile portfolios including Additional Secretary to the Chief Minister, Director General of Information, and Vice Chairman of the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA)—swapped his official motorized convoy for a bicycle. He pedaled his way from his residence on Sahastradhara Road all the way to the Directorate of Information on Ring Road.

While administrative mandates on environmental conservation are frequent, Tiwari’s hands-on approach has sent a powerful message across the state’s bureaucratic corridors. “Change always begins with oneself,” Tiwari remarked, emphasizing that leadership is about setting a personal precedent rather than just signing official files.

The initiative directly aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nationwide call for energy conservation and specific directives issued by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to tackle growing ecological concerns. Moving forward, the Department of Information will strictly observe every Saturday as “No Vehicle Day.”

Tiwari has formally appealed to all departmental officials and employees to ditch private vehicles once a week in favor of eco-friendly alternatives, including:

• Public Transportation to reduce the city’s overall carbon footprint.

• Carpooling to optimize vehicle utility among colleagues.

• Cycling and Walking for short-distance commutes.

The initiative isn’t isolated to the Information Department. Under Tiwari’s leadership as Vice Chairman, the MDDA has simultaneously rolled out a “Save Oil Campaign.” This campaign introduces concrete, enforceable measures aimed at promoting fuel efficiency, enforcing judicious electricity usage across government offices, and advancing broader environmental conservation goals.

By stepping out of the comfort of an official vehicle and onto a bicycle, a top-tier administrative officer has transformed a routine weekend commute into a powerful public statement. Observers note that this high-visibility move does more than just cut down emissions for a day—it serves as a psychological blueprint for the public, proving that small, individual efforts lay the foundation for monumental environmental change.