Rajnath Singh cuts convoy size after PM Modi’s fuel conservation appeal amid West Asia tensions

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has reduced the size of his official convoy to less than half following Prime Minister Narendra Modirsquos appeal for fuel conservation in view of the ongoing crisis in West Asia and rising concerns over global energy stabilitySeveral ministers and senior political leaders across the country have also started taking measures to reduce fuel consumption by downsizing official vehicle fleets and encouraging the use of public transport and virtual meetingsAndhra Pradesh CM orders 50 per cent reduction in convoy vehiclesAndhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to immediately reduce the number of vehicles in his convoy by 50 per cent during district visits and public toursThe decision was taken during a review meeting attended by the statersquos Director General of Police and senior Intelligence officials Naidu also instructed ministers public representatives and government officials to minimise the use of official vehicles wherever possibleAccording to officials the Andhra Pradesh government believes such measures are necessary at a time when governments are facing financial pressures and fuel conservation has become increasingly important due to global uncertaintiesHaryana CM limits security fleet urges virtual meetingsHaryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini also announced restrictions on the use of vehicles in his official convoy stating that only essential security vehicles would remain part of his cavalcade until further ordersSaini said he would also work without official vehicles one day every week as part of the fuelsaving initiative He instructed ministers and government departments in the state to reduce unnecessary travel and rely more on virtual meetings and digital communicationThe Haryana Chief Minister also appealed to MLAs and citizens to use public transport wherever possible and support efforts aimed at reducing fuel consumptionPM Modi calls for reduced fuel use and lifestyle changesEarlier while addressing a public gathering in Secunderabad Prime Minister Modi urged citizens to adopt measures that could help reduce Indiarsquos dependence on imports and lower fuel consumptionThe Prime Minister encouraged people to work from home wherever feasible avoid unnecessary foreign travel for a year and use public transport such as metro rail services instead of private vehicles He also suggested carpooling and greater use of electric vehicles to reduce petrol and diesel consumptionPM stresses reducing import dependencePM Modi also spoke about the need to lower Indiarsquos dependence on imported edible oils and chemical fertilisers He urged households to reduce cooking oil consumption and encouraged farmers to move towards natural farming practicesThe Prime Minister said India spends a large amount of foreign exchange on fertiliser imports and emphasised that reducing chemical fertiliser usage would not only help save money but also benefit the environmentHe further called for increased use of railways for transporting goods as part of broader efforts to improve fuel efficiency and reduce pressure on imported energy resourcesWith inputs from Agencies