Shillong: Commercial LPG supply to Meghalaya has been scaled up to 70% of the usual allocation, offering relief to businesses hit by recent shortages, a senior state official said on Monday.
Director of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Saloni Verma said the increase comes after sustained coordination with the Government of India, which has been redistributing LPG stocks among states to ease the crunch.
The state had been facing a severe shortfall since March 11, when a 20% cap on commercial LPG was imposed due to import disruptions linked to tensions in the Middle East. Against a daily demand of around 1,000 cylinders, Meghalaya was receiving only 200–250 cylinders, impacting hotels, restaurants and roadside eateries.
Supply has since shown gradual improvement. Between March 25 and 27, daily inflow rose to around 300–350 cylinders, and in the past few days it has touched nearly 400. Officials expect further improvement as the revised 70% allocation fully takes effect in the coming days.
Despite the shortage in the commercial segment, essential services such as hospitals and educational institutions continued to receive uninterrupted LPG supply.
On the domestic front, Verma clarified that there has been no disruption. Daily distribution has remained largely stable at 5,000–7,000 cylinders, close to pre-crisis levels of 6,000–7,000. From March 25 to 27 alone, over 22,000 domestic cylinders were delivered across the state.
Addressing concerns over long queues at LPG agencies, she said these were primarily due to mandatory e-KYC requirements linked to the De-duplication Exercise Certificate for new connections. The measure, enforced by oil companies, is aimed at preventing duplication and hoarding.
Calling for calm, Verma urged the public and media to avoid panic and refrain from spreading misinformation. She emphasized that the state government is actively monitoring the situation through district and state-level LPG monitoring committees.
