Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], May 11 : Union Minister of State (MoS) Defence Sanjay Seth on Monday backed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to reduce unnecessary consumption of fuel and imports, saying the Prime Minister always speaks "in the national interest" and that the country stands with him.
Speaking to ANI, Seth said that India has consistently overcome major challenges under the leadership of PM Modi and asserted that citizens should support his appeal for resource conservation and reduced dependence on imports.
"Whenever the country's PM Modi speaks for the nation's interest, the country stands with him. During the Corona period, the world assumed that crores of people would die in India and the country's economy would go off track, but nothing like that happened because the country stood with PM Modi," Seth said.
Referring to global geopolitical tensions, he said the ongoing conflicts in West Asia since February 28 have impacted energy markets, but India has managed to ensure an uninterrupted supply of fuel.
"And today, when PM Modi has made this callbecause as you know, for the last 74-75 days, wars have been raging in the Middle East... We don't have an oil well here, but despite so much war, there is no shortage of petrol-diesel or gas in the country," he said.
Seth urged citizens to adopt fuel-saving practices, including increased use of public transport, in line with the Prime Minister's appeal.
"The cheapest petrol-diesel in the world is available in India. There is no burden of any kind on the common people. When the situation of war is like this, PM Modi has appealed, so all of you should use your car less, and use the metro where it is available. The more we save on petrol-diesel, the more our foreign exchange will increase," Seth added.
The Union Minister also referred to PM Modi's suggestions on reducing non-essential consumption habits, including foreign travel and luxury spending, saying these steps would benefit both the economy and public health.
"And that's why PM Modi has appealed that those who used to travel abroad should not travel abroad for 1 year, should not buy gold for 1 year, and use less oil in foodthis is also good for our health. PM Modi has made a call for the country's interest, so we should all do this because our goal is a $5 trillion economy," he added.
Meanwhile, PM Modi, while addressing a gathering in Secunderabad on Sunday, 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.
He stressed the need to reduce dependence on imports and said every household should cut down on edible oil consumption and move towards natural farming to help save foreign currency and protect the environment.
Highlighting the burden of fertiliser imports, the Prime Minister said India spends a significant amount of foreign exchange on importing chemical fertilisers and urged farmers to reduce their usage.
To combat the volatility of fuel prices, PM Modi urged a shift in how India moves. He urged citizens to reduce petrol and diesel consumption by using the metro and public transport wherever available, opting for car-pooling when private vehicles are necessary, preferring railway transport for the movement of goods, and increasing the use of electric vehicles wherever possible.
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