PM Modi to chair Council of Ministers meeting at Sewa Teerth today; governance, fuel prices likely in focus: Sources
New Delhi, May 21
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting of the Council of Ministers at Sewa Teerth in the national capital at 5 pm on Thursday, sources said.
According to sources, the meeting is being viewed as an important midterm stocktaking of the government's performance. The high-level gathering is expected to be attended by Union Cabinet ministers, ministers of state with independent charge, and ministers of state.
The meeting comes amid rising global concerns over energy security and increasing fuel prices linked to the ongoing West Asia conflict and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime trade route.
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi had appealed to citizens to contribute towards economic resilience by reducing dependence on imported fuel and adopting environmentally sustainable alternatives. He urged people to use public transport, opt for carpooling, prefer railways for transportation of goods, and increase the use of electric vehicles wherever possible.
Recently, the petrol and diesel prices were raised across the country on Tuesday. In Delhi, petrol prices increased by 87 paise to Rs 98.64 per litre, while diesel prices rose by 91 paise to Rs 91.58 per litre. Similar hikes were witnessed in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.
This was the second fuel price hike in less than a week after prices were increased by Rs 3 per litre on May 15. Global crude oil prices have remained elevated amid tensions arising from the US-Israel-Iran conflict earlier this year.
The ministers' meeting also comes shortly after Prime Minister Modi concluded his five-nation official tour covering the UAE, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy.
During his visit to Italy, Prime Minister Modi held talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, following which the two countries elevated bilateral ties to a "Special Strategic Partnership."
The two leaders reviewed progress under the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-29 and discussed cooperation in areas including trade, investments, defence, technology, connectivity, education and the blue economy.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Proud of our PM's diplomatic outreach! From UAE to Italy, building strategic partnerships everywhere. That's the India we want to see. 👏👏
Meeting at Sewa Teerth - beautiful symbolism. But governance is about execution, not just symbolism. Need to see real action on inflation, unemployment. Hoping this meeting results in concrete steps.
PM's appeal for public transport & EVs is sensible. We can't keep crying about fuel prices while refusing to change our habits. Personal responsibility matters too.
Why is this being portrayed as a big deal? These meetings happen regularly. What matters is the outcome - will common man see any benefit? Global crude prices have cooled from last year but our petrol stays high. Tyre kyu phool rahe hain?
The Italy-India strategic partnership sounds promising! Blue economy, defence, tech collaboration - this is how India should engage globally. But please also focus on farmers' issues at home.
Arre yaar, every week fuel prices going up. My salary doesn't increase every week! Government should reduce excise duty on petrol. International tensions toh hamesha rahenge, but India must protect its citizens.
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