Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], May 16 : Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Saturday cut down his convoy size as Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushed for the austerity drive following the impact on fuel prices amid the West Asia crisis.
He urged the people to minimise fuel consumption, underlining that he has reduced the number of vehicles in his official convoys. The ministers have also reduced the number of vehicles they use.
"Responding to the call of our Prime Minister, we have voluntarily reduced the number of vehicles in our official convoys, and our Ministers have also reduced the number of vehicles they use. We appeal to everyone to make adjustments according to their own circumstances to minimise the consumption of diesel and petrol, which is the most practical approach right now," he said.
Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, "We have complete faith in our Prime Minister, who successfully steered 1.4 billion Indians through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are confident that we will navigate this situation as well."
The decision comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made seven appeals to citizens to contribute towards economic resilience by reducing dependence on imported fuel and adopting environmentally sustainable alternatives amid the West Asia conflict.
On Sunday, PM Modi urged citizens to prioritise work from home, cut fuel consumption, avoid foreign travel for a year, adopt Swadeshi products, reduce cooking oil use, shift to natural farming and curb gold purchases, while addressing a gathering in Secunderabad.
To combat the volatility of fuel prices, PM Modi urged a shift in how India moves. He requested citizens to reduce petrol and diesel consumption by using the metro and public transport wherever available, opting for carpooling when private vehicles are necessary, preferring railway transport for the movement of goods, and increasing the use of electric vehicles wherever possible.
Meanwhile, Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and JP Nadda have reduced the size of their convoys. Chief Ministers of several states, including Rekha Gupta, Yogi Adityanath, Mohan Yadav, Bhajanlal Sharma, Devendra Fadnavis and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, have also downsized their convoys.
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