Our Correspondents
At the time when people are facing currency crisis, another crisis seemed to be hitting them hardly as salt and sugar are out of stock in retail market in different part of the country. Many cities along with national capital are reported to be in panic over shortage of salt and sugar.
At many place in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, salt was being sold in retail shops for Rs. 200 -300 per kilogram and there was chaos outside many shops as people jostled to try and buy a packet, and more.
“If somebody spreads the rumors of price rise of Salt or sells it at high price, State Govt should immediately take stringent action” tweets Ramvilas Paswan, the Union Food minister .
There is no scarcity of salt in the country & also no increase in its price. I appeal to the people not to pay attention to the rumours, he said
The Uttar Pradesh government has said there is absolutely no reason to panic and that there is no shortage of salt anywhere in the state. Sources in the UP police say all district police chiefs have been instructed to act against rumour mongers or shopkeepers hoarding or selling salt at a higher price.
The state’s chief secretary has spoken to all district officials and asked them to ensure things go back to normal.
However, reports of panic buying are still coming in from across the state.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav rubbished the rumors saying “there is no shortage of salt in the state”. Lucknow Senior Superintendent of Police Manjil Saini trashed reports on paucity of salt and dubbed it as “mischief” by some rumourmongers.
While it was yet to be determined how the rumour started, people flocked to grocery shops and retail outlets in large numbers to buy salt in large quantities. As the panic spread, several quintals of salt vanished from shop shelves.
Rumours spread via the social media — particularly WhatsApp — triggered panic among people in the evening who rushed to markets to buy salt, which was being sold at exorbitant prices going as high as Rs 250 per kg.
In Delhi’s Okhla, violent protesters damaged DTC buses and rampaged shops, said sources. However, police swiftly brought the situation under control.
The Delhi Government appealed to Delhiites not to pay attention to rumours of shortage of salt in the city and assured that there is no scarcity of such essential commodity. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said teams of food supply officers and sub-divisional magistrates are rounding city’s markets where salt is available in sufficient stock. Later, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also assured that there is no shortage of salt and sugar in Delhi.