Meghalaya Food and Civil Supplies Minister Methodius Dkhar allayed concerns regarding fuel availability in the State while clarifying that the recent hike in fuel rates was a decision taken by the Centre and not by the state government. “There is no shortage of petrol and diesel in Meghalaya at present,” Dkhar said, while urging people not to panic, but be cautious about the global situation. “The US-Iran war has affected not only petroleum products but also several other commodities linked to transportation and supply chains,” the Minister said. Petrol price in Shillong has gone up to Rs 99.63 per litre while diesel is priced at Rs 90.94. He warned of another increase in the prices of petrol and diesel in the coming days if the war continued. According to him, any rise in fuel prices also leads to a slight increase in the prices of essential commodities. The minister, however, assured that the State is currently in a comfortable position with regard to LPG supplies. He informed that the government has regulations in place whereby an LPG card holder cannot refill a domestic cylinder before 25 days. On the supply of commercial LPG, Dkhar admitted that there was some shortage, but stated that Meghalaya had been receiving around 60 to 65 per cent of its requirement. He reiterated that the government was closely monitoring the situation and appealed to the consumers to refrain from panic-buying.