NEW DELHI: “Shouldn’t we opt for car pooling when we are starting from the same place and heading to a common destination?” PM Narendra Modi is learnt to have posed this question to his ministers on Wednesday, as he doubled down on his message to save fuel.TOI has learned that his remarks came during a meeting of the Union Cabinet, for which many of the ministers arrived in separate cars.Recently, PM Modi had asked for his security convoy to be trimmed and suggested ministers reduce their fleet of vehicles, in view of govt appealing to citizens to switch to public transport to reduce consumption of petrol and diesel.“The PM’s message was clear – ministers must practise what they preach,” said a person aware of the discussion, even as most ministers have pruned the number of vehicles that escort their cars.Sources said the PM also asked ministers to step up engagement with people and spend more time among citizens, while lauding telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia’s recent engagements with the masses.During his recent visit to Sikkim, Scindia surprised locals with his proficiency in the Nepali language.The PM’s observation had its impact on Wednesday itself when some ministers of state travelled in one car to Kartavya Bhawan-3 to attend the PM-chaired Pragati meeting virtually.Soon after the PM’s appeal to use public transport, BJP ministers across states had either cut their vehicle fleet or opted for bus or metros. But many of them have struggled to adhere to it – recently a deputy CM of a BJP-governed state was reported to have called for a seven-seater vehicle in order to return to the state capital.
