Lok Sabha Question No. 3433 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-06
Subject: Panic Sale of Salt
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT, DHANANJAY BHIMRAO MAHADIK, GOPALAKRISHNAN CHINNARAJ, RAJEEV SHANKARRAO SATAV, BHARATENDRA SINGH, JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN, SUPRIYA SADANAND SULE, KIRRON KHER, VIJAYSINH MOHITE PATIL

## Government of India

## Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3433

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.12 .2016

## PANIC SALE OF SALT

3433. DR.  HEENA  VIJAYKUMAR  GAVIT:  SHRI  DHANANJAY MAHADIK:  DR.  C. GOPALAKRISHNAN:  SHRI  SATAV  RAJEEV:  KUNWAR  BHARATENDRA: DR.  J. JAYAVARDHAN:  SHRIMATI  SUPRIYA  SULE:  SHRIMATI  KIRRON  KHER:  SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINH SHANKARRAO:

## Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there were false reports/ rumours of a possible ban on the sale of salt panic in parts of India recently and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has ask ed States to crack down on rumour mongers and if so, th details thereof along with the response of the State Governments thereto;
- (c) whether the Government has looked into the matter and determined the actual status supply in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the steps taken by the Government to have enough stock of salt available to meet ev need; and
- (e) the  details  of  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  prevent  creation  of  a crisis/shortage of essential commodities including salt and chana dal across the country?

## ANSWER

miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k jkT; ea=h ¼Jh lhvkjpkS/kjh½

## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION ( SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY )

*****

- (a) On 11 th November, 2016 reports appeared in the media regarding a sudden price escala of  edible  salt  in  a  few  States  viz.  Uttar  Pradesh,  Delhi,  Andhra  Pradesh,  Utt Rajasthan, Bihar, West Bengal etc. due to rumours of shortage.
- (b) On  the  same  day,  this Ministry  dispelled  the  rumours  through  the  Print,  Electronic Social  Media  and  also  alerted  the  affected  States  to  identify  and  crack  down  on responsible for spreading such rumours on salt shortage, since the State Governme empowered  to  ta ke  enforcement  action  to  crack  down  on  rumour  mongers.    Some  State police departments including UP, Delhi and Mumbai issued advisories to public and w against rumour mongering and requested public to complain to them in case of any activity.
- (c ) to (e) As per data collected by the Offices of Salt Commissionerate from the majo producing regions in Mumbai, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Chennai, it was f that in these places common salt is freely available at source.  Further, there w as production surplus during 2015 - 16 as annual salt requirement of the country was 62.43 lakh ton while the production was 64.54 lakh tonnes.  Supply of iodised salt during the per April to August this year is 27.68 lakh tonnes and as such ther e was no shortage.

Regarding  Chana  dal,  the  Central  Government  vide  Order  GSR  929  (E)  date 29.09.2016 has enabled the State Governments to impose stock limits on Pulses inc Chana dal.  The States are empowered to carry out de - hoardin g operations and detain the blackmarketeers to prevent artificial shortage of Chana dal across the country.

*****