West Asia Crisis | Andhra Pradesh cabinet announces voluntary austerity measures, urges citizens to reduce fuel use

Hyderabad: In response to the West Asia crisis and heeding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for national restraint, the Andhra Pradesh cabinet has resolved that public representatives and officials will adopt voluntary austerity measures.

Talking to reporters after Thursday's cabinet meeting, Minister for Information, Public Relations and Housing, Kollu Parthasarathy, called on all citizens to embrace austerity as part of the "My Country, My Responsibility" initiative. He said Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had set the direction during the meeting, with measures including voluntary reductions in official vehicle convoys, virtual meetings in place of in-person gatherings, and to observe a weekly "No Vehicle Day".

Against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict, the Minister highlighted several economic priorities like reducing fuel consumption, safeguarding foreign exchange reserves, boosting farmer-led agricultural exports, and curbing imports of oil, gas, and urea. He cautioned that exports of bananas, paddy, and other horticultural produce could be disrupted by the crisis, making it all the more important for public representatives and officials to lead by example. "When the country faces difficult times, we must stand united and overcome hardships together," he said.

On the energy and transport front, the Minister outlined a range of steps the government intends to pursue. All future government vehicle purchases will be restricted to electric vehicles (EVs), and fuel consumption across state departments will be minimised. Awareness campaigns will encourage citizens to walk or cycle for short distances, and ministers and officials are being urged to cycle to the Secretariat at least once a week, a gesture the Minister believed will inspire the public to follow suit.

Educational institutions will be asked to observe two "No Vehicle Days" per week, EV charging infrastructure will be expanded through institutional incentives, and the state will push for early delivery of centrally allocated EV buses. Police have also been asked to improve traffic management to reduce idle engine time.

The Minister added that the government is exploring work-from-home arrangements two days a week in select departments, and that universities and large institutions should consider shifting to online classes where feasible.

Turning to consumer habits, Parthasarathy urged citizens to favour domestic tourism over foreign travel, particularly during summer and holiday seasons, noting that India offers a wealth of outstanding destinations. He also called for a shift toward domestically manufactured goods and away from imports. On gold, he noted that India imports hundreds of tonnes annually a significant drain on foreign exchange reserves and asked people to voluntarily curb purchases, even if only temporarily, to help reduce the national import burden.

The Minister encouraged every household to install solar panels under the central government's Surya Ghar scheme, announcing that the state will accelerate its rollout. He also called on farmers to cut back on chemical fertilisers and adopt nano and organic alternatives.