Centre Raises Commercial LPG Allocation to 70% After Meghalaya Hospitality Sector Shortage

The Central government has raised commercial LPG allocation to 70 per cent of the regular quota for all states, bringing partial relief to Meghalaya's hospitality and tourism sector, which had been struggling with severe shortages since mid-March.

The update was shared by Saloni Verma, Deputy Secretary in Meghalaya's Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, who also clarified that domestic LPG supply for households has remained unaffected throughout the period.

Also Read: LPG supply steady nationwide as 55 lakh refills delivered in a day

The shortage stemmed from a Central government directive issued on March 11, 2026, which capped commercial LPG supply to just 20 per cent of each state's regular daily allocation — a measure taken in response to supply disruptions caused by the conflict situation in the Middle East, from where India imports a significant share of its LPG.

For Meghalaya, this meant that against a daily commercial requirement of around 1,000 cylinders, the state was receiving only 200. While hospitals and educational institutions were mandated to continue receiving 100 per cent supply, restaurants, dhabas, hotels, and tourism operators bore the brunt of the shortfall.

"There was a shortage for restaurants and dhaba owners, and this was a pan-India situation," Verma said.

Following sustained engagement between the state government and Central authorities, the allocation has now been raised to 70 per cent of the regular quota across all states.

Verma noted that the improvement has already been visible in the numbers. Daily commercial cylinder deliveries in Meghalaya stood at 200 to 250 between March 11 and mid-month, rising to 300 to 350 cylinders between March 25 and 27, and reaching approximately 400 cylinders per day in the three days prior to her briefing.

She added that once the 70 per cent allocation letter is formally implemented — typically within two to three days of issuance — supply levels are expected to rise further. "The situation will improve for tourism operators, restaurants, dhaba owners, and hotels," she said.

On the domestic front, Verma was categorical that there has been no disruption to household LPG supply. Before March 11, the state's average daily domestic requirement stood at 6,000 to 7,000 cylinders. Since then, records show that 5,000 to 7,000 cylinders continue to be delivered daily to domestic consumers.

She attributed the queues seen at distribution points to a surge in eKYC compliance rather than any actual shortage. "People have been rushing to distributor shops with their documents to complete eKYC. There is no disruption in domestic LPG supply," she said.

Verma concluded by urging the public to avoid panic buying and not spread misinformation, noting that district- and state-level LPG committees are actively monitoring the situation.