In the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent push for austerity amid the West Asia crisis, and with the state government announcing a series of cutbacks in expenditures on Wednesday, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, cabinet ministers and top bureaucrats acted promptly to signal thrift through carefully calibrated shows of restraint in official travel.
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On Thursday, Fadnavis drove a Royal Enfield Bullet from his official residence Varsha to Vidhan Bhavan with cultural affairs minister Ashish Shelar riding pillion; his deputies Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar travelled in electric vehicles (EVs), while a few other ministers chose to walk to Mantralaya for the cabinet meeting – egging opposition leaders to call the entire act a staged political spectacle, questioning if the self-discipline would sustain for a year as the prime minister had requested.
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After two high-level meetings on Wednesday, in which the chief minister announced a slew of austerity measures – chief among them being reducing ministers’ convoys by half, banning overseas tours, and encouraging the use of public transport and online meetings — a notification was issued by chief secretary Rajesh Aggarwal detailing the way forward.
As the CM and ministers settled down for the cabinet meeting on Thursday, Fadnavis is believed to have said: “I rode a two-wheeler as a symbolic gesture. I request all of you to use public transport at least once a week. Ministers should ensure MLAs and party workers do not flock in cars during their tours.”
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He first attended the swearing-in ceremony of 10 newly elected members of the legislative council after which he went to Mantralaya for the cabinet meeting.
An official from the chief minister’s office said that the 2018-model Bullet was obtained for Fadnavis from the Mumbai Police and is registered in the name of an assistant commissioner of police.
“It was serviced yesterday and a fitness certificate was obtained on priority. An environment certificate, as a substitute for the PUC certificate, was also secured. The CM is expected to frequently ride the Bullet for short distances in future as well,” the official said. Fadnavis’s cavalcade however comprised police bodyguards riding motorcycles. Shinde, who uses a Lexus SUV, reportedly borrowed an EV from an acquaintance but is expected to purchase one soon. “It was not possible to buy and register a new EV within two days of the prime minister’s appeal,” said an official from his office.
While Shinde and Pawar used EV SUVs to reach Vidhan Bhavan, OBC minister Atul Save and fisheries minister Nitesh Rane walked to Mantralaya from their government bungalows opposite the state secretariat. Significantly, even as they criticised the PM’s austerity call, a group of Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders including Ambadas Danve and Anil Parab chose to walk to their party office, around 200-meters from the Vidhan Bhavan, after the swearing-in.
Industries minister Uday Samant, who had reached Mantralaya in a cavalcade of EVs on Wednesday, reduced it by half on Thursday.
Additional chief secretary (home) Manisha Mhaiskar and her husband Milind, who is additional chief secretary (forest), chose not to travel separately, opting to travel together in one car from their Churchgate residence to Mantralaya. The former’s post of the co-travel as an Instagram reel was soon pilloried on the platform.
Opposition’s criticism
The chief minister’s new mode of commute drew criticism for the Opposition. NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar said, “Fuel conservation cannot be achieved in a day or two; it requires consistency. Ministers should not make a show of giving up their convoys. The CM’s act can be taken seriously only if he travels in a bike every day.”
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Fadnavis defended his move hoping citizens may wish to emulate him. “People imitate leaders –that is why I rode the Bullet motorcycle,” he said.
Meanwhile, government officers have flagged a limitation in the ministers’ efforts to switch to EVs. An officer from a minister’s office said: “EVs are not convenient for long-distance travel as there are not enough charging stations.” Another officer underscored the “impracticality of the austerity measures”. “Reducing the CM’s convoy by half without compromising on his security is a double whammy for security agencies,” he said.
Shelar’s gaffe
An unguarded exchange between Shelar and Parab outside Vidhan Bhavan, which went viral subsequently, highlights the political cynicism regarding the public austerity. Mocking the diktat to limit convoys, Shelar said, “The convoy has been reduced. Tomorrow they will ask us to walk for a day, and then carry our security personnel on our shoulders too.”
