PM Modi calls for pandemic-era austerity drive
Speaking in Hyderabad on Sunday, he underlined the need to reduce petrol and diesel consumption by relying more on public transport and working from home.
Modi said Indians should preserve their foreign exchange reserves by avoiding non-essential gold purchases for a year and avoid holidays abroad for a similar period.
The Prime Minister also called for weddings abroad to be avoided and asked farmers to cut fertilizer use by half.
“Due to the war, the prices of petrol, diesel, gas and fertilizer have increased rapidly,” Modi said. “We continue to read news about the crisis in other countries. In India, the government bears the entire burden. But when there is a crisis in the supply chain, problems continue to escalate no matter what precautions we take. Therefore, we must fight collectively, keeping Maa Bharati’s welfare at the top.”
Making his strongest call since the start of the war on February 28, the Prime Minister said that patriotism should be evaluated from the perspective of living responsibly and fulfilling one’s duties towards the nation. The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz due to the war has greatly reduced the supply of LPG, oil, fertilizer and other essential goods.
“It is our responsibility to save funds that should be spent on imports of petrol, diesel, gas and fertilizers,” Modi said. The Prime Minister also advocated car sharing, transporting goods by rail and increasing the use of electric vehicles. He said productivity during the Covid period, including working from home as well as online meetings and conferences, should be implemented in the national interest.
State-owned oil marketing companies absorbed under-receipts of Rs 30,000 billion per month to maintain high prices for retail consumers.
Ignoring fears of a hike in petrol and diesel prices, the government has increased the commercial LPG price in major cities from Rs 993 to Rs 3,000 per 19 kg cylinder. The price of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) for overseas flights has also been increased. The opposition had claimed that the government was waiting for the assembly elections to be over in five states before increasing the prices of petrol, diesel and domestic LPG.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to visit India on May 14-15 to attend the BRICS foreign ministers summit, where some supply chain issues may be discussed.
local products
Other steps suggested by the Prime Minister included purchasing locally produced products, including daily use items such as shoes, bags and accessories.
“My request is that we do not buy foreign goods,” he said. “Most of the time, we fail to realize that many items we use daily are foreign. When I talk about Swadeshi, people think that buying local Diwali lamps is enough… These issues are not about a government, a party. This is not a BJP issue, it is the country’s issue. Every citizen, every government, every organization should be involved. Let’s awaken the feeling of patriotism.” He asked families to reduce edible oil consumption, stressing that it would benefit both the economy as well as personal health.
Farmers who benefit from various social assistance programs have been asked to make some adjustments. He asked them to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers by half, adopt natural farming practices, protect soil health and reduce dependence on imports. Fertilizer supplies have taken a hit due to the blockade. Modi said farmers should use solar-powered irrigation pumps instead of diesel pumps in agriculture.
