Salt too tastes rumour mills

To control the situation, the Excise Department raided business establishments of several wholesale dealers during the day and people were assured of its easy availability.

Barely two days ago, the same thing happened in Shillong when rumours about acute shortage of salt raised its price to Rs 20 per kg from the fixed rate of Rs 2.10.

Similar reports came in from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh where rumours of the common salt becoming somewhat uncommon increased the price from Rs 15 to Rs 25 a kg after people began panic buying. The people had reportedly read newspaper reports in some section of the press claiming that salt was selling at Rs 50 a kg at Varanasi and mightgo the onion way.

District Magistrate K K Upadhyaya has given directions to the district supply officer, city magistrate and sub-divisional magistrate to inform the people that there was no shortage of the commodity.

He also ordered stern action against shopkeepers trying to sell salt at unreasonably high rates. Some people have already been arrested in this connection.

A report from Gorakhpur said the kitchen ingredient sold as high as Rs 50 a kg following rumours that stocks had depleted. Police, however, assured that there was no shortage.