‘Cut fuel use, work from home, avoid foreign travel & gold purchase’: PM Modi

Hyderabad: Amid a raging West Asia crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday exhorted citizens to play their part in reducing fuel use by opting for car pools, public transport, avoiding foreign travel and resorting to Covid-time measures such as work from home and virtual meetings.

In his speech in Hyderabad, the PM called for a collective participation to help India face global economic disruptions, supply chain challenges, and rising prices caused by international conflicts.

He said patriotism is not only about sacrificing one’s life for the nation, but also about living responsibly and fulfilling duties towards the country during difficult times.

The PM asked citizens to reduce petrol and diesel consumption by using metros and public transport, wherever available, opting for car-pooling when private vehicles are necessary, using railways for movement of goods, and increasing the use of electric vehicles wherever possible.

Modi urged the revival of Covid-era efficiency measures in national interest, including work from home arrangements, online conferences and virtual meetings.

He appealed to citizens to help conserve foreign exchange reserves by avoiding unnecessary foreign travel, overseas vacations and foreign weddings, choosing domestic tourism and celebrations within India and requested people to avoid non-essential gold purchases for one year in order to reduce pressure on foreign exchange outflows.

The prime minister also encouraged citizens to prioritise Made-in-India and locally manufactured products, including daily-use items such as shoes, bags and accessories.

He asked families to reduce edible oil consumption, stressing that it would benefit both national economic health and personal health.

The prime minister also had a request for the farmers and asked them to reduce the use of chemical fertilisers by 50 per cent, move towards natural farming practices and help preserve soil health and reduce import dependence.

The PM said wider adoption of solar-powered irrigation pumps instead of diesel pumps in agriculture will also help.