Assam's Austerity Drive: Fuel Conservation Amid West Asia Crisis

The Assam cabinet has implemented several austerity measures in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal for fuel conservation due to the ongoing West Asia crisis, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Wednesday.

During a press conference, the Chief Minister highlighted the new policies adopted in this initiative, which include reducing the convoy size of the governor, Chief Minister, ministers, and other officials. Additionally, government officials are prohibited from traveling abroad for the next six months unless for medical emergencies.

Further actions include a temporary halt on the purchase of new government vehicles, promoting vehicle scrapping, a 20% reduction in fuel expenditure, and a shift towards online seminars and meetings. These measures follow Modi's warning that the current West Asia military conflict might escalate into a crisis worse than the COVID pandemic.

(With inputs from agencies.)