By Sagar Vishnoi:
Hello Mr. Moily,
First of all I want to congratulate you, Honourable Minister, that you listen to some of your fellow citizens and gave their idea due place. I got to know this when you said last night “Shutting petrol pump from 8 pm to 8 am is an idea that has come to us”. Yes, how can I forget that you are planning many austerity measures and are going to urge people to save fuel. But Mr. Minister, I don’t understand why my family said that you backtracked from your statement of “8 pm to 8 am non-availability of petrol” idea in the evening . They keep screeching all the time over scams done by your populist government, but you can ignore them. Huh, typical Indian family, always critical!
Sir, as India’s import of oil and associated products was worth $144 billion in 2012-13, we have heard that you intended to save $20 billion — the current account deficit in 2012-13 was $88 billion — by compressing the domestic consumption of oil products. Sir, this is the courage rare to be seen in this era of failing economy, inflation and unemployment. I believe you have much more guts than Bindoo Daara Singh (who came back to acting after spot-fixing case).
Honourable minister, according to the written note to the PM, you have suggested three measures to achieve your goal. First one is to launch a six week campaign, starting September 16, to create awareness about the need to conserve fuel by your own ministry’s Petroleum Research and Conservation Agency (PCRA). Hats off Mr Minister! Even I am expecting a campaign like Bharat Nirmaan for Oil aired on some news channel but I cannot understand why my mother keeps accusing your government for Bharat Nirmaan campaign as a lollipop to the poor. The paid media even damned the current account deficit by saying that in the absence of security of women and functional public transport systems in most cities and towns, people have every incentive to continue using private vehicles for commuting. Typical insecure Indian mentality, huh!
Honourable Minister, your second idea is to raise the amount of oil India imports from Iran. This is because Iran is the only major oil producer which will accept payment in Indian rupees rather than US dollars. Now, Mr. Minister, how can I know so much about world economics, I am a mango person (of-course not an AAM Aadmi: B team of any political party), but still my filmy girlfriend doubts that it has something to do with Iran’s nuclear programme. I am afraid that she’s not mentally retarded of doubting India’s pleasant relations with US.
Honourable Minister, your third Idea hits the bulls eye. I know Mr. Minister, that you want to control demand by this brilliant insidious ‘idea‘ of fuel rationing. Your suggestion that petrol stations should curb operating hours in a bid to limit the demand for fuel in the country is perfect to control demand in the hours as the country actually eat, sleep, hog on news, phone, Facebook between 8pm to 8 am. But I can’t understand why my father was yelling, like the opposition in the parliament, saying it will create black-markets and lead to more wastage as consumers join endless queues at the start and end of the day, letting precious fuel burn as their engines idle waiting for refueling. I believe, being a government employee, he just can’t understand the power of an ‘idea‘ and supersedes his idea of deregulation of oil prices to contain the import bill over yours. Huh, typical my-idea-is-better-than-yours approach!
Mr. Moily, no need to worry, ideas suggested by you hold due sense of respect by the youth of this country.
We’ll vote next year for sure!
Sincerely yours
A confused youth