Amid PM Modi's austerity push, Delhi CM order curbs on official vehicles

New Delhi [India], May 13 : Amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi's austerity push, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has ordered curbs on the official vehicles used by ministers, MLAs and other public representatives. The step has been taken in alignment with the message of PM Modi.
She also urged residents of Delhi to adopt car pooling
Rekha Gupta's move comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made seven appeals to citizens to contribute towards economic resilience by reducing dependence on imported fuel and adopting environmentally sustainable alternatives amid the West Asia conflict.
In a post on X on late Tuesday, Rekha Gupta said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called upon the citizens of the country to save petrol-diesel and make energy conservation a people's movement, in view of the current global situation. In internalising this important appeal of Hon'ble Prime Minister ji, a decision has been taken to limit the number of vehicles for departmental work. I and all my Cabinet colleagues, all MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party, public representatives, officers of the Delhi government, and all departments will also use the minimum number of vehicles as per requirement and prioritise carpooling and public transport."
https://x.com/gupta_rekha/status/2054262079260164429
Rekha Gupta assured that the Delhi government is committed to ensuring energy conservation and urged citizens to join in the national efforts.
Meanwhile, PM Modi has significantly reduced the size of his convoy during recent domestic visits while retaining all essential security arrangements mandated under the Special Protection Group (SPG) protocols, sources said.
According to sources, the reduction in the number of vehicles in the Prime Minister's convoy was implemented during his recent visits to Gujarat and Assam, immediately after his speech in Hyderabad
Sources further said that while the convoy size was reduced, all critical security components continued to remain in place in accordance with SPG guidelines to ensure the Prime Minister's safety.
In another significant step, PM Modi has also directed officials to include Electric Vehicles (EVs) in his convoy wherever feasible, without making any new purchases, sources added.
PM Modi on Sunday urged people to reduce petrol and diesel consumption by increasingly relying on public transport, car-pooling and electric vehicles, highlighting the impact of global disruptions and rising costs.
To reduce dependence on imports, PM Modi also called upon citizens to cut down edible oil consumption and appealed to farmers to reduce the use of chemical fertilisers and move towards natural farming.
He further noted that India spends large amounts of foreign currency on importing chemical fertilisers and emphasised the need to protect both the economy and the environment through natural farming practices.