Modi urges Indians to adopt WFH and conserve fuel amid global uncertainty.
Rising West Asia tensions push oil prices higher, increasing India’s import concerns.
PM calls for reduced foreign spending, natural farming and Swadeshi product adoption.
Why PM Modi Wants Indians to Work From Home Again
PM Modi urges fuel conservation, WFH and reduced imports amid West Asia tensions
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a rally while urging fuel conservation and WFH measures Photo by PTI
Summary
Advertisement
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 10 appealed Indians to use fuel judiciously and opt for Working From Home (WFH) whenever possible to strengthen the economy.
The prime minister’s suggestions came at a time when West Asia is seeing stressed situation due to the continuing exchange of proposals between Iran and the United States to end the war without reaching any formal agreement.
According to Mint, Iran offered on May 10 to ship some of its stock pile of enriched uranium abroad as part of the peace talks but refused to dismantle its nuclear facilities. But US President Donald Trump dismissed such suggestions, sending oil prices soaring to as high as $105 a barrel.
Why PM Is Promoting WFH
Addressing a rally in Hyderabad organised by the BJP, Modi suggested reducing petrol and diesel consumption, using metro rail services in cities, carpooling, increased use of electric vehicles (EVs), utilising railway services for parcel movement, and working from home to conserve foreign exchange amid the crisis in West Asia.
Advertisement
When there is pressure on the supply chain, difficulties increase despite various government measures to address the situation, he said. "That's why, during a global crisis, keeping the country above all else, we have to take resolutions," he added.
Stressing the need to save foreign exchange due to the crisis, Modi called for postponing the purchase of gold and foreign travel for one year.
"We have to save foreign exchange by any means," he said, adding that due to the West Asia conflict, prices of petrol and fertilisers had increased significantly.
He further urged people to start using metro rail services in cities, carpooling, increased use of electric vehicles (EVs), utilising railway services for parcel movement and working from home for a year, stressing the need to save foreign exchange due to the crisis in West Asia.
He said, “We must make efforts to use only as much as is needed to save foreign currency and reduce the adverse effects of war crises.”
Advertisement
Return to Covid Practices
Commenting on the need to save fuel, Modi said, “We got into work-from-home, virtual meetings, video conferencing, and many other methods during Covid-19. We got habituated to them. The need of the hour is to resume those methods. During a global crisis, keeping the country above all else, we have to take resolutions.”
He also called for reduction in consumption of edible oil, reduction in use of chemical fertilisers, promotion of natural farming and using Swadeshi products to save foreign exchange to help make the country self-reliant.
(With inputs from PTI.)