Shillong: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has ruled out fuel rationing in Meghalaya for the time being, while urging citizens to brace for uncertainty as petrol prices surge due to global factors, particularly the ongoing war.
“The high rise of petrol, as you are aware, has a lot to do with the external factor of the war that is happening, and this is a global phenomenon. Therefore, it is impacting everyone,” the CM told reporters on Wednesday.
“So, it is not something that is isolated to Meghalaya or only to India; it is a phenomenon impacting the world at large. Many nations have even had to go into austerity in terms of rationalizing the quantity of fuel given to individuals,” he pointed out.
“I think that is what the Prime Minister’s larger message is: it is not the time to panic, but we definitely need to see what we can do because of the uncertainty. What we can do as individuals is to prepare for the uncertainty in front of us. So, I think that is the larger picture,” he said.
He also noted that fuel prices in Meghalaya were below the national average. “We will ensure that there is no kind of hoarding or stocking that takes place that could lead to any kind of rise in prices,” he asserted.
On demands to cut state taxes, Sangma said Meghalaya’s rates were already low. “The country’s smallest states, like us, have fewer sources of revenue, and therefore, it is a very difficult call for us,” he explained.
As of Thursday, the petrol price in Shillong was Rs 102.56 per litre. Over the past 10 days, fluctuations were observed, with prices ranging between Rs 99.30 and Rs 102.59.
