Amid ongoing crisis in West Asia, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that the need of the hour is to use petroleum products judiciously. The PM called on the public to reduce usage of petrol and diesel if possible and resort to means of public transport such as metro trains. He emphasised that the Centre is trying to shield people from the adverse impact of ongoing war in West Asia, as he called for measures by citizens to overcome the resulting challenges.
Speaking at an event in Telangana, where he virtually laid the foundation stone and inaugurated development projects worth around Rs 9,400 crore, Modi said imported petroleum products should be used only as needed, as this would not only save foreign exchange but also reduce the adverse impact of war. Modi stressed the need for restraint in fuel consumption, as India largely imports fuel.
Observing that India has, in recent years, emerged among the leading countries in solar power capacity, he said unprecedented progress has also been made in ethanol blending in petrol. He noted that the government first focused on achieving 100 per cent LPG coverage and is now working towards expanding piped gas supply more affordably. The government is also promoting the use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), he said.
Acknowledging that such initiatives are helping India navigate the global energy crisis, the PM stressed the importance of energy conservation, reiterating that imported energy resources must be used judiciously and only when necessary. Underscoring both financial and geopolitical benefits, he said, ''Today, the need of the hour is to use petrol, gas, diesel and similar resources with restraint. We must use imported petroleum products only as needed.
"If we must use a car, then we should try to carpool... People with electric vehicles should try to use them as much as possible. During the Corona period, we developed many systems of work from home, online meetings, and video conferences, and we even became accustomed to them. Today, the demands of the times are such that if we restart these systems, it will be in the national interest," he further said. He also said that "We must also place a strong emphasis on saving foreign exchange, as petrol and diesel have become so expensive globally... It is our responsibility to save the foreign currency spent on purchasing petrol and diesel."
This will not only save foreign exchange but also reduce the adverse impact of war.'' Referring to Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy's remarks that there should be no politics in development, Modi said he too would avoid political comments. Assuring the Centre's support to Telangana, he invited Reddy to join him in the development journey.
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