Enraged for not getting salt, Jumla locals vandalise depot

By Netra Shahi,Jumla, July 18: Locals in Jumla have vandalised government depots after they could not easily get salt.

The locals pelted stones at the depot, saying that they struggled to get the salt even during the festive time. Head of Nepal Salt Trading Corporation (STC) office in  Jumla, Khagendra Bahadur Malla, said that some locals pelted stones at the office while the others were in queue to get the salt. 

According to Malla, he went to Sinja to distribute salt, and on Sunday, the headquarters depot was vandalised by the locals as other employees were distributing salt.

Locals said that citizens who came to buy salt to celebrate Sankranti festival were enraged over the inadequate supply of salt.  

They have accused the government of not being able to provide even bare minimum necessity as salt to the citizens. Due to the shortage, three packets were given to each person waiting in the queue earlier, but this time after adding the quantity, up to five packets were handed to each person in the queue.

The Chief District Officer Jaya Kumar Ghimire said he had received information about the agitation and acknowledged that the insufficiency became clear while the distribution was in progress. 

He said that during the time, some disgruntled people pelted stones after they failed to get the salt they had demanded. 

He pledged to work to ensure salt distribution from the ward level. According to Information Officer and Police Inspector Dharma 

Raj Joshi, there is no shortage of salt, but the problem in its distribution emerged because of poor management. 

STC Jumla head Malla confirmed that there is no shortage of salt. He said that while last year, 2,500 quintals of salt were procured for Jumla, that figure this year is 2,800 quintals. The office has been set up in Sinja area of Jumla and it has been distributing salt from there steadily. 

In Jumla, during the Fiscal Year 2079/80 BS, demand for salt has increased time and again, despite measure being taken to ease its distribution from the local level. 

But the local administration, people's representatives, political parties and concerned bodies have done little to efficiently manage the distribution.