PM Modi's recent appeal to public
PM Modi's recent appeal to public
When the Prime Minister asks citizens to reduce petrol and diesel consumption, avoid unnecessary foreign travel, and live more sustainably, the government’s own policies should support that transition.
Right now, they often do the opposite.
India heavily promoted EV adoption through the FAME-II scheme. That support has now been drastically reduced. The old subsidy levels for electric two-wheelers were cut sharply, and the replacement EMPS scheme offered much smaller incentives — around ₹5,000 for many two-wheelers — for only a limited period.
For states like West Bengal, the situation is worse. The earlier road tax and registration fee exemptions were only valid till March 2025, and there is currently no major active state subsidy encouraging EV adoption.
So on one hand citizens are told to reduce fuel consumption, but on the other hand:
- EV incentives are shrinking,
- charging infrastructure is still limited,
- and many apartment residents still cannot install chargers easily.
If the government genuinely wants lower petrol and diesel usage, then EV adoption should become easier, not more expensive every year.
The same contradiction exists with travel policy.
People are encouraged to reduce foreign trip and instead choose domestic tourism, yet the domestic tourism destinations are not properly maintained. And the Leave Travel Allowance (LTA) system itself is outdated. Under current rules, employees generally get tax exemption only on travel fares like train or flight tickets — not hotel stays, food, or most local expenses. A trip to Thailand costs less than a Goa trip, and also with a much better and cleaner experience.
A modern LTA policy should:
\- allow partial reimbursement of hotel expenses,
\- support domestic tourism more realistically,
\- and place a reasonable annual cap instead of pretending travel only means train fare.
Even work-from-home is treated like a temporary privilege instead of a structural policy tool.
Traffic congestion, fuel imports, pollution, overcrowded public transport, and urban stress could all reduce significantly if hybrid/WFH models became more common. But most companies will not voluntarily adopt long-term remote work unless labour policy actively protects or incentivises it.
If reducing fuel imports and emissions is truly a national priority, then:
- EV subsidies should expand, not shrink,
- public transport should improve,
- domestic tourism places should be clean and safe. The lta policy should modernise,
- and remote work should be encouraged through actual policy reforms rather than appeal.
Citizens alone cannot carry the burden of “sacrifice” while policy moves in the opposite direction.