Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed the Special Protection Group (SPG) to reduce the size of its convoy by at least 50% as part of the government’s austerity measures aimed at cutting fuel consumption while addressing rising global energy prices caused by the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
The Prime Minister has instructed the PMO to push for electric cars in its fleet, officials familiar with the matter said.
An official familiar with the matter confirmed, “The size of the convoy has actually been reduced over the past two days. This was done without compromising security.”
Following the Prime Minister’s call, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also reduced the size of his convoy, officials said. On Wednesday, the Shah was seen leaving his residence, with only 4-5 security vehicles in his convoy. The Interior Minister’s motorcade usually consists of 10 to 30 vehicles depending on the location. In Delhi, it usually hovers around ten.
It could be anywhere from 10 to 30. Depending on the location. In Delhi it is usually around 10
Prime Minister Modi on Sunday advised citizens to adopt a host of austerity measures, including carpooling, using public transport, working from home, buying less gold and limiting foreign travel among other measures. The SPG is the elite security unit that manages Prime Minister Modi’s security in India and abroad.
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The Prime Minister’s convoy includes an ambulance and his security officers, as well as teams from the Prime Minister’s Office, who always set up a temporary PMO, whenever the Prime Minister stays anywhere for more than an hour. The convoy usually consists of about twenty vehicles, sometimes more, depending on the sensitivity of the location.
Speaking at a BJP rally in Hyderabad on May 10, Prime Minister Modi asked citizens to reduce petrol and diesel consumption, use metro and autopool services, switch to electric vehicles, work from home, postpone travel abroad, and avoid buying gold for up to a year.
A shareable image titled ‘Modi 7 Appeals’ with key points was soon circulated across government and government-aligned social media. Describing austerity as a national duty amid the ongoing US-Iranian conflict in West Asia, he said rising crude oil prices and disruption of global supply chains are putting severe pressure on India’s foreign exchange reserves.
He told the attendees: “We must provide foreign exchange by all means,” stressing that the price of gold and petroleum products was paid in dollars when imported.
Within hours of the speech, social media was filled with videos of Prime Minister Modi leading a roadshow in Jamnagar, Gujarat, in an armored SUV surrounded by a convoy of dozens of vehicles.
Many citizens shared pictures of the large number of vehicles in his convoy on social media.
Many other senior leaders and ministers at the Center and states are likely to follow similar austerity measures after the Prime Minister’s bold directive to SPG to reduce its fleet.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also issued a similar order to reduce the fleet of vehicles in his convoy, along with those of his ministers and senior bureaucrats. The Prime Minister also instructed his public representatives to use public transportation at least once a week.
