The Meghalaya government admitted on Thursday that the “surplus” buffer for domestic LPG has evaporated, while a central supply cap has slashed commercial gas availability by 20 percent across the state. Food and Civil Supplies Minister Methodius Dkhar informed media persons that while there is currently no outright shortage of domestic LPG, the state no longer has the buffer it once had. “We used to have surplus availability during normal times, which is not the case now,” the minister said. Dkhar said that the distribution of domestic cylinders would be regulated to prevent panic and oversupply.
The situation is more critical for the commercial sector with the minister confirming a 20 percent cap on supply imposed by the central ministry. This implies that the state is receiving significantly fewer cylinders than required. The state government has written to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas to request an increase in the capping limit for Meghalaya. Supervision committees have been constituted at both the district and state levels to prevent illegal hoarding and black marketing during this period of tight supply.
The minister also raised concerns regarding petrol and diesel, admitting that global volatility linked to the conflict in the Middle East could trigger local shortages. Even as no panic buying has been reported yet, dealers have been strictly asked to refrain from hoarding.