Shillong, Mar 30: The pinch in the supply of LPG cylinders is easing, the Meghalaya government said today, with allocations now raised to 70 per cent of the usual quota.
This, however, contrasts with hoteliers in the city, who are struggling to keep their restaurants open as they have not received any supply of cooking gas since the central government imposed restrictions earlier this month following the disruption in supply caused by the Iran War.
Director of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Saloni Verma today stated that the availability of commercial LPG in Meghalaya is gradually improving, with allocations now raised to 70 per cent of the usual quota. She also assured that domestic LPG supply across the state has remained largely unaffected despite visible queues at distributor outlets.
Addressing reporters, Verma said the increase follows sustained engagement between the state and the central government, along with a reassessment of stock positions across different states. She expressed optimism that the enhanced allocation would ease difficulties faced by hotels, restaurants, dhabas and tourism-related businesses.
On March 11 the Centre had imposed a cap limiting commercial LPG supply to 20 per cent due to disruptions in imports triggered by tensions in the Middle East. This significantly impacted Meghalaya, where the daily requirement of commercial cylinders stands at around 1,000. Supplies had dropped sharply to nearly 200–250 cylinders per day, leading to shortages across the hospitality sector. However, essential services such as hospitals and educational institutions continued to receive full allocations.
According to official figures the situation has shown gradual improvement over the past week, with daily supplies increasing to around 300–350 cylinders and approximately 400 cylinders as the revised 70 per cent allocation begins to take effect.
On the domestic front, Verma clarified that there has been no disruption in supply. Prior to the March 11 restrictions, the state recorded daily domestic LPG deliveries of 6,000–7,000 cylinders. Even after the cap, distribution has remained within the range of 5,000–7,000 cylinders per day. From March 25 to 27 alone, a total of 22,094 domestic cylinders were supplied.
Explaining the long queues at LPG outlets, Verma attributed the issue to the ongoing e-KYC process. Companies are strictly implementing this measure to prevent hoarding and duplication.
She also appealed to the public and media to avoid spreading misinformation or creating panic through exaggerated reporting. To ensure better oversight, both district-level and state-level LPG monitoring committees have been constituted and are actively reviewing the situation, she added.
The president of the Shillong Hotels Federation (SHF), PS Sehdave, however, painted a less comforting picture.
“Supply (of cylinders) is almost zero. We are not getting cylinders,” he said bluntly.
Restaurants are using charcoal (in the case of tandoor ovens and grills), induction cooking devices and even firewood to get by. Menus have been trimmed to cut out dishes that require a lot of heat, Sehdave added.
From the very first day of the central government notification the SHF raised the matter with the Deputy Commissioner, who then wrote to Indian Oil. However, despite this, the situation has not been resolved.
Sehdave warned that, while hoteliers have for now absorbed the extra costs involved to them, there is a likelihood that they will have to pass on the costs eventually to consumers in the form of rate hikes if the problems persist.
He was also worried for hotels and restaurants in rural parts of the state, saying that the situation is better in Shillong. “Outside, even electricity (for induction) is a problem and they may not be able to sustain very long if this continues,” Sehdave said, adding that Meghalaya’s burgeoning tourism industry could take a significant hit because of the effects of the Iran War.
