Petroleum Minister M. Veerappa Moily Wednesday took the metro to work as part of his ministry's drive to promote fuel conservation and reduce India's massive oil import bill.
On his pre-announced Bus Day every Wednesday, Moily walked from his residence at Tughlaq Lane to the Race Course Metro Station, from where he took the train to Central Secretariat station, which exits almost at the doorsteps of the oil ministry housed in Shastri Bhawan.
"We spent almost $145 billion on importing oil last fiscal. While we are endeavouring to increase domestic production, simultaneously we should conserve fuel to reduce this import bill, which is the single-biggest reason for some of the current economic woes like current account deficit," Moily told media persons accompanying him.
"Every Wednesday, I will use public transport. I have asked my official car to be lodged in the garage.
"I also ask my public sector companies to use public transport at least once a week," Moily told media persons just before boarding the metro around 9.45 a.m.
Moily said he and all officials in his ministry and its public sector units (PSUs) nationwide will travel by public transport every Wednesday.
While two joint secretaries rode bicycles to office, the rest of the 200-odd staff in the ministry used public transport. PSU employees either used car pools or took public transport to office.
"The ministry staff alone would have saved some 600 litres of petrol or diesel today. I am taking the metro to office now and will use the same to go back for lunch and return. I will take the metro again back home," Moily said.
