Modi Urges Citizens To Curb Petrol Use Over Middle East Conflict; Calls For Covid-Era Measures

Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the need of the hour is to use petro products with restraint in the wake of the Middle East crisis.

In an event where he also virtually laid the foundation stone and inaugurated development projects worth around Rs 9,400 crore in Telangana, Modi said that the imported petro products should be used only as per need, as it will not only save foreign exchange but also reduce the adverse impact of war.

Stating that India has reached a spot among the top countries in the world in terms of solar power over the past few years, he said that unprecedented work has been done in ethanol blending in petrol.

His speech also called for a collective participation to help India face global economic disruptions, supply chain challenges, and rising prices caused by international conflicts.

PM Modi emphasised that 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.

He urged citizens to reduce petrol and diesel consumption and use measures such as -

•     Using metros and public transport wherever available
•     Opting for car-pooling when private vehicles are necessary
•     Preferring railway transport for movement of goods
•     Increasing the use of electric vehicles wherever possible

PM Modi further called for revival of Covid-era efficiency measures in national interest, including:

•      Work-from-home arrangements
•     Online conferences
•      Virtual meetings

The Prime Minister 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
•     Requested people to avoid non-essential gold purchases for one year in order to reduce pressure on foreign exchange outflows.
•     Encouraged citizens to prioritise Made-in-India and locally manufactured products, including daily-use items such as shoes, bags, and accessories.
•  Asked families to reduce edible oil consumption, stressing that it would benefit both national economic health and personal health.

For farmers, PM Modi suggested to reduce chemical fertiliser usage by 50%, move towards natural farming practices, help protect soil health and reduce import dependence and encouraged wider adoption of solar-powered irrigation pumps instead of diesel pumps in agriculture.

(With inputs from PTI)

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