By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
DEHRADUN, 13 May: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for conservation of energy resources is now beginning to reflect in Uttarakhand too. A day after Cabinet Minister Ganesh Joshi and BJP MLA Premchand Aggarwal were seen travelling on scooters, the number of vehicles in Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s convoy has also been reduced. Earlier, the Chief Minister’s convoy used to comprise of nine vehicles, including security vehicles, but the number of vehicles has now been curtailed to five.
The effect of the decision was seen during the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held at the Secretariat here on Wednesday. The ministers arriving at the Secretariat for the meeting drew attention as Ganesh Joshi reached the venue on an electric scooter instead of using an official vehicle. At the same time, the Chief Minister also reduced the number of vehicles in his convoy. The impact of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appeal to citizens regarding energy conservation and reduction in fuel consumption is now becoming visible in Uttarakhand as well, with many public representatives appearing to take the lead.
Amid the ongoing tensions in West Asia, supply of gas and other energy resources has been affected, prompting the Government of India to stress the need for restrained and judicious use of energy resources. It may be recalled that addressing a rally in Hyderabad recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged people to reduce consumption of petrol and LPG, make greater use of public transport and avoid purchasing gold for the next one year.
The PM had stated that in view of the crisis in West Asia, there was a pressing need to conserve foreign exchange reserves. He advised citizens to reduce consumption of petrol and diesel, use metro rail services in cities, adopt carpooling, increase the use of electric vehicles, utilise railway services for parcel transportation and encourage work-from-home practices wherever possible. Stressing the need to save foreign exchange during the ongoing crisis, he had also appealed to the people to postpone foreign travel and gold purchases for one year.
Following the PM’s appeal, ministers in the Dhami Cabinet have also spoken about implementing these measures in practical terms. Transport Minister Pradeep Batra said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal is extremely important considering the prevailing circumstances. Referring to the conflict in West Asia, he said everyone needs to contribute towards conserving resources. He urged people to make greater use of electric vehicles and electric buses so that petrol and diesel could be saved. He further said that if a household owns four vehicles, only one should be used, and people should adopt vehicle-sharing arrangements.
Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal said that fuel prices are continuously rising internationally because of the ongoing conflict in West Asia. In such a situation, PMModi’s appeal to minimise energy consumption is in national interest and essential for strengthening the country’s economy. He said people should defer gold purchases for some time and reduce the number of vehicles being used for official travel. He added that while work must continue uninterrupted, the size of accompanying staff and convoy should be kept to the minimum possible.
Agriculture Minister Ganesh Joshi was in news recently after Modi’s appeal when he was seen commuting on scooter. Today also he is reported to have arrived at the Secretariat for Cabinet Meeting on an electric scooty. Joshi said that the PM’s appeal would soon be visible on the ground in a larger way. He said conserving energy resources has become the need of the hour and sooner or later everyone would have to move in that direction. Referring to the ongoing global crisis, he said its impact is not limited to India alone but is being felt across the world. He observed that the public has responded positively to the PM’s previous appeals as well. Joshi said that after CM Dhami also appealed for restraint, he has decided to attend local programmes using a scooter instead of official vehicles.
Social Welfare Minister Khajan Das said that during the Cabinet meeting he would request CM Dhami to remove the additional security vehicle accompanying the ministers within the capital city. He said security vehicles should only be used when ministers travel out of station, as one vehicle is sufficient for movement within the city. He added that the CM has instructed everyone to minimise expenditure wherever possible.
