Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday doubled down on his appeal to the country to reduce fuel usage and purchase of gold, stating that saving foreign exchange reserves should be on top priority amid the current global headwinds.
"Whenever India faced war or any major crisis, citizens fulfilled responsibility on government appeal; we need to do same now," Modi said, while addressing a gathering in Vadodara.
All citizens of the country, in view of the global headwinds, must take all efforts to reduce use of imports and avoid personal activities that involve spending foreign currency, he added.
Modi compared the crisis triggered by the US-Iran war with Covid-19 pandemic that broke out in 2020. "Over the past few years, the world has been continuously passing through unstable circumstances. First, the crisis of COVID, then global economic challenges, and now the rising tensions in West Asia. The impact of all these situations is continuously falling on the entire world, and India is not untouched by it either," he said.
"If the Covid pandemic was the biggest crisis of this century, then the circumstances created by the war in West Asia are one of the major crises of this decade. When we together overcame the challenge of COVID, we will surely get through this crisis as well. The government is also continuously making efforts to ensure that its impact on the people of the country is minimal," he added.
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Modi also repeated his call for prudent fuel usage at individual levels, saying, "I appeal to every citizen of my country to reduce the use of petrol-diesel as much as possible. Use the metro, make greater use of electric buses and public transport, and promote carpooling."
Prioritise WFH
Calling for the revival of another Covid-era playbook, Modi said that remote working should be prioritised wherever possible, both in public and private sectors.
"Digital technology has now made so many things easy that technology's assistance will also be very beneficial for us. It is essential that priority be given to virtual meetings and work from home in both government and private offices," he said.
This was the second appeal for work-from-home made by Modi in two consecutive days, as on Sunday, he urged companies to reconsider remote working to cut down on fuel usage. Responding positively to his appeal, the Nascent IT Employees Senate — a union for IT sector workers — said they've already demonstrated effeciency in output, while working remote during the Covid-19 crisis.
Modi, in Vadodara, also repeated the call for cutting down on gold purchases, which adds a strain on the country's forex. "A huge amount of the country's money also goes abroad on gold imports. Therefore, I would urge all of you, my fellow countrymen, to postpone the purchase of gold until the situation returns to normal," he said.
"Today, the need of the hour is that we turn 'Vocal for Local' into a people's movement. Instead of foreign goods, adopt local products. Empower the entrepreneurs of your village, your city, your country," the prime minister further said.
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