Jammu: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has significantly reduced the size of his own convoy as part of a nationwide campaign for fuel conservation and efficient use of resources amid the ongoing West Asia crisis, prompting Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, top police officers and several BJP-ruled states to follow suit.
Official sources said the Prime Minister downsized his convoy during recent visits to Gujarat and Assam while ensuring all mandatory Special Protection Group (SPG) security arrangements remained intact. Sources further said Modi also suggested inclusion of electric vehicles in official convoys wherever feasible without making fresh purchases.
The move came days after the Prime Minister appealed to ministers, government departments and citizens to reduce fuel consumption, avoid unnecessary expenditure and minimise dependence on imported resources and foreign-currency-intensive services in view of global uncertainties arising from the West Asia conflict.
During a recent Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Modi, ministers were reportedly advised to focus on cost-cutting measures, reduce avoidable travel and consciously conserve fuel and resources. Government sources clarified that the initiative is not an austerity drive involving cuts in welfare schemes, subsidies or development expenditure, but an effort towards smarter and more responsible spending.
Following the Prime Minister’s appeal, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday ordered a 50 percent reduction in the size of his official convoy. Raj Bhawan officials said the decision was taken to support fuel conservation efforts and encourage responsible use of resources.
Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat and Inspector General of Police (Security) Sujit Kumar have also reduced their convoys by half.
Other senior police officers across Jammu and Kashmir have similarly scaled down convoy movement in line with the Prime Minister’s appeal.
Prime Minister Modi on Sunday suggested several practical measures for conserving fuel and reducing foreign exchange outflow, including increased use of metro rail services and public transport, carpooling, work-from-home wherever feasible, greater adoption of electric vehicles and enhanced use of railway services for transportation and parcel movement.
The Prime Minister’s appeal has triggered similar measures across several BJP-ruled states.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed an immediate 50 percent reduction in the fleet of vehicles accompanying him and ministers and appealed to citizens to spend resources more wisely.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced that only a minimum number of vehicles would be used in his convoy from a security perspective and directed ministers to avoid vehicle rallies. He also encouraged greater use of public transport.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta imposed limits on official vehicles used by ministers, MLAs and public representatives while appealing to residents to adopt carpooling and public transport.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma similarly directed minimisation of convoy movement and asked officials and public representatives to adopt similar practices.
The Maharashtra government under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed ministers to seek prior approval before using aircraft for official travel. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde switched to an electric vehicle as part of the conservation initiative, while Shiv Sena ministers were advised to minimise non-essential travel and reduce official vehicle usage.
Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat announced that he would travel within the state using trains, state transport buses and public transport instead of helicopters and flights, while also reducing official convoy size.
Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghvi cancelled his proposed visit to the United States following the Prime Minister’s appeal to reduce foreign travel.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary announced that he had reduced the number of vehicles used for his movement by half and would undertake official travel only when necessary.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said his government would soon unveil precautionary measures to mitigate the impact of the West Asia conflict on the state.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said he had reduced his convoy size and stressed greater use of electric vehicles in future.
Himachal Pradesh Governor Kavinder Gupta declared Raj Bhavan a “fuel conservation zone” and appealed to educational institutions to support the campaign.
The Centre maintains that the initiative is aimed at encouraging fuel conservation, energy efficiency and environmental responsibility while ensuring that governance, development expenditure and welfare measures continue without any reduction.
