Dismissing salt shortage rumour, Govt says adequate stock of salt available

The Centre on Saturday dismissed the rumours of shortage of salt in the market and said adequate stocks are available across the country, including Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Tamil Nadu.

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), which comes under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in a series of tweets said there is sufficient stocks of salt in the country.

"Salt produced at Nawa and Phalodi from Rajasthan is supplied to Delhi. Refined salt is available in market at the rate of Rs 8-18 as per brand. Adequate edible salt has been supplied to Delhi & NCR areas by salt producers from Santalpur and Kharaghoda from Gujarat. There is no scarcity in Delhi," it said.

Salt producers and suppliers from Tamil Nadu confirmed that there is no scarcity of salt in the entire state, it said, adding "no scarcity of salt and it is sold at normal rates in West Bengal".

Adequate salt has been produced, stocked and being supplied in Gujarat, which produces 75 per cent total salt in India.

Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that "authorities are in the field and reporting back. No shortage".

Rumours about shortage of salt triggered panic among people in areas like Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi and Maharashtra.

The Salt Commissioner's organisation with its headquarters at Jaipur is under the DIPP.