Bhopal, May 12 (IANS) Extending support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for austerity amid global uncertainty, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Tuesday announced that his cavalcade will operate with a minimum number of vehicles until further orders, and there will be no vehicle rallies during his tours.

The Chief Minister also urged his Cabinet ministers, Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, and party workers to follow suit.

In a post on X, he said, “On the call of respected PM Modi, Madhya Pradesh is committed to reducing petrol and diesel consumption in the national interest.”

“For security reasons, my cavalcade will have a minimum of vehicles until further notice, and there will be no vehicle rallies during my tour. All ministers will also use minimum vehicles during their travels,” Yadav said.

He added that newly appointed corporation and board officials will assume charge with simplicity.

Yadav appealed to the public to adopt public transport, stating, “National interest is paramount.”

Yadav’s announcement came hours after a newly appointed Textbook Corporation Chairman, Saubhagya Singh Thakur, arrived from Ujjain with a convoy reportedly comprising more than 200 vehicles.

The incident drew criticism for sending a contradictory message at a time when PM Modi and the Chief Minister have sought restraint in fuel use.

Yadav’s directive now puts the onus on ministers and party functionaries to scale down convoys and adopt simpler travel practices.

During Monday’s Cabinet meeting, Yadav stated that PM Modi had asked farmers to use solar pumps instead of diesel pumps and to adopt natural farming to cut fertiliser imports.

“In the current global scenario, citizens have also been urged to make greater use of railway goods train services for freight transportation,” he said.

He further said that citizens have been encouraged to use public transport or electric vehicles, postpone foreign travel for at least one year, visit domestic tourist destinations, refrain from buying gold for a year, and reduce household consumption of edible oil.

–IANS

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