Bhubaneswar, May 13 (IANS) After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to the citizens of the country, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday took a major decision to reduce by half the number of vehicles used in his personal security convoy as part of measures in view of the situation caused by the conflict in West Asia.

In view of the global fuel crisis triggered by the conflict in West Asia, PM Modi has recently appealed to the people of the country to adopt several measures, particularly by reducing the consumption of petrol and other fuels.

According to an official statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), Chief Minister Majhi also urged people to minimise the use of private vehicles and use public transport for travelling as part of the fuel conservation drive.

“Emphasising the importance of the Prime Minister’s call, the Chief Minister also urged the people of the state to minimise the use of personal vehicles and make greater use of public transports. He advised citizens to use vehicles only when necessary and avoid unnecessary travel,” the CMO said.

The Odisha Chief Minister also appealed to the people to refrain from purchasing gold and avoid non-essential foreign trips.

Notably, after PM Modi’s decision to reduce his convoy size, several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Maharashtra, have already announced reduction in the convoy vehicles.

Addressing a public meeting organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at Parade Grounds in Secunderabad on May 10, PM Modi had urged citizens to collectively contribute towards protecting the Indian economy from the ripple effects of the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

He went on to highlight the challenges posed by various factors such as global supply chain disruptions, rising fuel prices, and increasing economic uncertainty resulting from international tensions.

In this context, PM Modi appealed to the citizens to conserve fuel, use Metro rail and public transport wherever possible, adopt car-pooling, and increase the use of electric vehicles.

He also encouraged industries and offices to revive work-from-home arrangements, online meetings, and virtual conferences — measures that had proven effective during the Covid-19 period in reducing fuel consumption and improving efficiency.

Significantly, the Prime Minister also appealed to the citizens to avoid non-essential purchases of imported goods and unnecessary overseas vacations in order to conserve foreign exchange reserves.

–IANS

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