By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 29: After the hotels and lodges, small eateries and restaurants in Shillong have started to curtail their menu due to the shortage of commercial LPG cylinders.
Owners of some eateries in the city said that they have decided to let go of their bestsellers due to the scarcity of cooking fuel.
It is learnt that many shopkeepers are procuring a commercial LPG cylinder for as high as Rs 5,000.
“We can buy at a premium, but they take out some quantity of the gas from each cylinder,” a shop owner said.
He said using firewood or charcoal is an option, but people would start complaining about the smoke.
Operators of other small eateries said that they are contemplating certain measures to deal with the situation.
The Meghalaya government has admitted that there is a huge crisis of commercial LPG cylinders after the Centre imposed a 20% capping on the supply of commercial LPG cylinders.
The state government has written to the central government to increase the capping for Meghalaya.
BJP spokesperson Mariahom Kharkrang said that the LPG crisis is beyond anyone’s control due to the ongoing war in West Asia.
Stating that the people have to live with it, he, however, sought cooperation from the public with the government, which is taking steps to at least ensure that domestic LPG consumption is not affected.
Terming the situation as abnormal, he added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made efforts to ensure that Indian oil tankers are allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
VPP questions govt’s ‘all is well’ claim
Amid growing public complaints over delays in LPG cylinder supply, the Voice of the People Party (VPP) on Sunday questioned the government’s assertion that the situation remains normal, pointing to emerging gaps between official claims and ground reality.
The VPP said consumers across the state are increasingly facing longer waiting periods, with recent changes in booking rules adding to the difficulty. Under the revised system, a refill cannot be booked before 25 days from the previous booking, the party noted.
It further stated that delivery timelines have also stretched, with cylinders taking up to 20 days after booking, effectively making it difficult for households to receive a refill every month.
The party observed that while the situation may still be manageable at present, the delays indicate underlying stress in the supply system.
The party cautioned that the disruption, though not yet out of control, has already begun to affect consumers and could escalate if not addressed promptly.
The VPP also stressed that the inconsistency between government assurances and public experience is fuelling uncertainty, and called for greater transparency on the actual status of LPG supply in the state.
It may be recalled that the Directorate of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs on Saturday asserted that the state government is closely monitoring the situation to ensure uninterrupted supply to all genuine consumers.
While domestic LPG supply had largely remained stable after the Government of India’s rationing directive issued on March 11, a temporary disruption was noticed after March 20.
This was attributed to a combination of factors, including policy adjustments, the mandatory rollout of Aadhaar-based e-KYC authentication, hesitation among some distributors, and panic buying triggered by misinformation.
The Directorate further noted that the situation has improved significantly since March 24.
