Salt scarcity rumour hits Manipur
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, November 15 2013 : The State has seen long queues for procuring petrol and diesel during blockades but not for any other commodity.

However, as the rumour of salt scarcity struck people in both hills and plains today with hundreds of panic buyers storming local grocery shops to procure large quantity of common salt in anticipation of possible scarcity in the market.

The common salt soon ran out of stock in most of the grocery shops.

Some shopkeepers have hoarded their available stock of salt and reportedly sold it as high as Rs.200 per kilogram.

After the CAF & PD Minister M Okendro was apprised of the salt crisis in the State, police personnel were put into task.

They made publicity about the available stock of salt to the public using loud speakers.

The police informed the public that the traders in the State have enough stock of common salt that could be used for more than four years.

Usually, the price of one-kilogram of common salt ranges from Rs.16 to Rs.20.However, the price of common salt suddenly skyrocketed owing to the rumour that originated from Darbhanga district of Bihar.

Salt scarcity rumour hits Manipur

Interestingly, Hueiyen Lanpao received more than 500 phone calls from the public enquiring about reasons and incidents that led to sudden scarcity of common salt in the State.

The staffs had a difficult time answering to the phone calls.

The telephone lines of Hueiyen Lanpao office had to be kept disconnected for some time.

According to reports from correspondents and reporters from all districts of the State, every grocery shop was packed with a large number of people buying and enquiring about common salt.

Some major roads in hill districts were even blocked due to huge turnout of panic buyers in the market.

The shops in the main markets were opened even though there was a bandh called in protest of MPP Vice-President Manisana's murder.

Talking to Hueiyen Lanpao, some people said that they scanned almost all shops in Khwairamband Keithel to get some packets of common salt, but they could not get any from the shops.

None of the shops from Singjamei to Khangabok in Thoubal district was found to have even a single packet of salt.

Even a grocery shop near Chief Minister Okram Ibobi's residence at Thoubal Athokpam was found to have exhausted with the stock of common salt.

At Kangokpi, thousand of people in and around Kangpokpi thronged the leading shops/stores in Kangpokpi bazar to buy salt following the rumour of its scarcity in the state since early morning.

At around 6 am, some people started queuing up in front of M/S Manoj Store Godown at Kangpokpi Bazar and Anil Store at I.T.Road to buy salt stating that there is scarcity of Salt in the state.

The rumour spread like wild fire in the entire town and its adjoining areas and within a few minutes, other people also came out and thronged the two stores creating an alarm to the town administration.

The shop owners and store proprietors were totally in the dark regarding the rumour initially but as the people were becoming restive and getting out of control, they have no option but to pay attention to their demand.

Even after the rumour was confirmed, very few people listen to it and continued to make beeline in front of the shops to buy salt and they were ready to pay Rs 50 for one packet of salt which normally cost around Rs 10 or 12.Volunteers of Kanggui Youth Union faced a tough time in trying to convince and dissuade the panic buyers.

They also went around the town to ensure that the price of the salt was not hiked arbitrarily by the shopkeepers.

One shop owner at Kangpokpi informed that late evening yesterday; some people from Senapati came to his shop and asked for 10 bags of Salt stating that there is scarcity of Salt in the state.

At Ukhrul too, a widespread panic was seen among the general public who rushed to the nearest shops and found the salt running out of stock.

Public announcement was also made throughout Ukhrul town to dissuade the people from becoming panicky on account of the false rumour.

After stock of the situation, President of Tangkhul Katamnao Shaklong (TKS) Y.Khapai stated that whether there is scarcity of salt or not, the TKS won't allow any storekeepers to increase the price.

He informed that godowns will also be checked to keep a tab on hoarding of the essential item.

In Churachandpur district headquarters, panic buying of salt by the denizens caused one of the worst traffic jams that the town has ever witnessed.

Even Health Minister Phungzathang Tonsing and his cavalcade were held up in the traffic jam.

Some of the shops selling salt were forced to be shut down as the overwhelming number of panic buyers were becoming restive.

Police had to intervene to prevent people from fighting and District Administration had to make public announcements at different parts of the town informing the people that there is no scarcity of salts in the district and that the shop license of anyone found selling salts at higher price than the normal rates would be cancelled.

When the rumours spread, people in Tamenglong district started indulging in panic buying of salt.

Long queues of people were seen in front of various shops and the stock of salt in these shops ran out in no time.

Taking advantage of the situation, some of the shopkeepers increased the prize of salt.

A packet of Tata salt which normally cost Rs 12 was sold at anywhere between Rs 15 to 25. But the people were still ready to buy them without any complaint.

At Chandel, people rushed to Japhou Bazar since early morning to buy salt at the rate of Rs 20- 40 per kg and this led to draining away the stock in all the shops in no time.

Similar scene was also witnessed at Chakpikarong, where RD Thumdang, Chairman of Anal Naga Chiefs' Association, Chakpikarong was forced to make a trip of the shops in the market places of the sub-divisional headquarters to caution the shop keepers against sell salt beyond their normal price by taking advantage of the rumour.

Nonetheless, by late morning, stock of salt in Chakpikarong Bazar reportedly ran out, causing anguish among those who came from far off places but could not buy any salt. At the border town, Moreh of Chandel district prices of salt reportedly sky-rocketed touching an all time high of Rs 200 per kg.

Various civil society organizations like Moreh Meitei Council, All Manipur Students' Union, Chandel district and other tribal bodies convened a joint meeting to discuss the development and issued a stern warning to shop owners against selling salt at high prices.

Notably, Meitei Council, Moreh and AMSU Chandel Unit in collaboration of some traders distributed common salt to the public at Moreh town at low cost.