80 salt hoarders detained
Tribune
News Service
NEW DELHI, Nov 2 —
The salt scarcity scare which sent the residents of Delhi
scurrying to buy salt in large quantity seems to be
waning.
Most shops reported a
temporary scarcity of salt as panicky consumers had
bought huge quantities of the commodity yesterday
following rumours that the prices of edible salt were
slated to touch the Rs 60 a kg mark.
Since morning, those
people who were unable to buy salt yesterday, queued up
to purchase it today. The salt situation began to
normalise by afternoon when it became clear to the people
that there was no scarcity of salt in the market.
The Delhi Food and Civil
Supplies Minister, Ms Poornima Sethi, said that about 80
persons have been detained in a crackdown on hoarders and
black marketeers of common iodised salt.
She said that there was no
shortage of salt and "it is available in plenty
throughout the city".
The Weights and Measures
Department continued to raid shops from where reports
were emanating of salt being sold at a higher price.
In one particular incident
at the Indian Airlines colony near Vasant Vihar, a
shopkeeper was selling salt packets priced at Rs 6 for Rs
20. The people of the area, infuriated by the inflated
price, called up the authorities concerned and lodged a
formal complaint against the shopkeeper, who was arrested
for selling salt at a higher price.
The situation in East
Delhi colonies took longer to normalise as the rumour of
scarcity of salt continued to do the rounds till late
afternoon.
The Delhi Pradesh Congress
Committee president, Ms Sheila Dikshit, lashed out
against the BJP for its failure to control black
marketeers and hoarders who had escalated the price of
common salt.
"Indifferent and
callous attitude of the BJP government has resulted in
the salt crisis in the Capital," the DPCC President
said.
Brushing aside allegations
by the ruling BJP government that the Congress was
responsible for the salt rumour, Ms Sheila Dikshit said,
"The BJP-led Delhi Government had failed to put its
act together and it was searching for a scapegoat to
blame for its own inefficiency and mismanagement."
Giving an ultimatum to the
BJP government that by tomorrow if the situation did not
come back to normal, the DPCC President said the Congress
would take out protest marches throughout the Capital
against the government similar to the Dandi march taken
out by Mahatma Gandhi against the colonial rule.
"No salt
scarcity"
The Centre today dismissed rumours about a
shortage of salt in the country, saying that there were
enough stocks of edible salt to meet the country’s
requirements for the next six months and more.
As against the monthly
requirement of five lakh tonnes of edible salt in the
country, the total availability of the stock in country
was estimated at around 40 lakh tonnes. There was also
about 28 lakh tonnes of salt available with the captive
salt works for their industrial requirements, a part of
which can be also released for edible purposes.
The Secretary, Industrial
Policy and Promotion, Mr T R Prasad, told newspersons
here that as on November 1, the availability of salt in
the country was 68 lakh tonnes and there would be surplus
stock to be carried forward to the next season. This
stock is available mainly with the salt producing states
of Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan.
Mr Prasad, who was
accompanied by the Salt Commissioner and Consumer Affairs
Secretary, Mr N N Mukherjee, said there was some loss to
salt production as a result of the cyclone in Gujarat in
June this year, but due to immediate restoration and
rehabilitation measures taken by the state government and
the Salt Department of the Union Government, stocks have
been built to fully meet the edible salt requirement of
the country.
The new salt crop is
expected to become available right from the beginning of
January and "hence, there is absolutely no need for
any apprehension about salt availability in the country
and there is no cause to panic," he said.
As on October 31,
requisitions for 27 rail rakes were pending for loading
at various loading stations of Gujarat and Rajasthan for
supply to Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. Five rakes are meant
for supply in Delhi and 22 rakes for Uttar Pradesh. Each
rake has a capacity of 2200 tonnes. The position has been
reviewed by the Member (Traffic), Railway Board, and
instructions have been issued for immediate allotment of
rakes for carrying salt to various destinations. He has
further issued instructions so that all new indents for
rakes could be met within 24 hours.
All the leading salt
manufacturers in the public and private sector have sent
fax messages to the Salt Department, indicating immediate
availability of large quantities of stock at normal
prices.
According to the Gujarat
Salt Federation, 20 lakh tonnes of salt available in
Gujarat and they were willing to supply any quantity of
iodised salt at 75 paise per kg in 75-kg bags for
Gujarat.
Hindustan Salt Works,
which is a public sector undertaking, has one lakh tonne
of salt and is committed to supply any quantity from its
supply points in Rajasthan and Gujarat at the rate of Re
1 per kg in 75-kg bags.
The Managing Director of
Tata Chemicals has telephonically informed the department
that there was already a stock of 6,000 tonnes in Delhi
alone and they were further rushing three rakes of
iodised salt from Mithapur in Gujarat.
Several other associations
and salt manufacturers like the Gujarat Salt Federation,
Rajasthan Iodised Salt Manufacturers Association, Navan
Namak Utpadak Sangh, Rajasthan, Salt Manufacturers and
Merchants Association, Tuticorin, Wellbrines Chemicals
Ltd and Camerin Laboratories Pvt Ltd, Chennai have
indicated availability of large supplies of iodised salt
at reasonable rates. In fact, some of them have stated
that for want of adequate orders, their production has
been curtailed.
Mr Prasad said there was
absolutely no basis for apprehending any shortage in
supply or rise in prices of edible salt. The rumours
spread by vested interests obviously have triggered bulk
buying in some areas, he added.
He advised the consumers
not to fall into the trap set by such rumour-mongers and
avoid bulk or excessive buying of salt which was
available in plenty and was enough to meet the
requirements of both the consumer and the industry.
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