Varanasi: Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for fuel conservation and sustainable living, the municipal corporation of his parliamentary constituency, Varanasi, has decided to observe a ‘No Fuel Day’ every Saturday in a bid to curb fuel consumption and contribute towards strengthening the nation’s economy.Mayor Ashok Kumar Tiwari, along with councillors of the municipal corporation, decided in what was described as a step in the national interest. Under the initiative, elected representatives will voluntarily refrain from using personal petrol- or diesel-powered vehicles every Saturday.The resolution was adopted unanimously during a key meeting with councillors held on Wednesday. As part of the initiative, all councillors will commute from their homes to the corporation office using eco-friendly alternatives such as walking, cycling, public transport, or electric vehicles every Saturday. Tiwari said he himself would walk all the way to the corporation office as part of the initiative. He noted that PM Modi has urged citizens to reduce fuel consumption to help conserve foreign exchange, and said the Municipal Corporation had taken the step in keeping with its sense of national responsibility.However, vehicles engaged in essential services, including garbage collection trucks and other emergency utility vehicles, have been exempted from the initiative, considering the corporation’s critical service obligations.The mayor appealed to corporation officials and employees to avoid using petrol and diesel vehicles at least one day a week in the national interest. He said the initiative would not only promote environmental conservation and sustainable living but also contribute to strengthening the country’s economy through fuel savings.
