Sarkegad locals face acute iodised salt shortage

By Rajan Rawat,Humla, Aug. 29:Residents of Sarkegad Rural Municipality in Humla district are facing a severe shortage of iodized salt, being forced to purchase salt at exorbitant prices from local markets.

Locals are currently paying as much as Rs. 55 per kilogram for iodized salt, a stark contrast to the Rs. 9 per kg price offered under the government's transportation subsidy programme. 

Basanti Shahi, a local of Sarkegad Rural Municipality, said that she has been purchasing iodized salt brought by traders in the market for Rs. 55 per kg and consuming it. 

She said that she had previously received little salt under the transportation subsidy and after that ended, she had been purchasing and consuming expensive salt for the past seven months. 

Stating that even though it has been reported that salt is being consumed cheaply across the district, she has been consuming expensive salt every year. 

She demanded that the government should fix the salt quota in the district and municipality as well according to the requirement.

Dhan Bahadur Chhantyal, Ward Chairman of Sarkegad Rural Municipality-4, said that there is currently a shortage of salt as the quota set by Salt Trading Corporation Limited for one year is insufficient. 

He said that although the STC has been providing salt to Humla district under transportation subsidy, it is not enough for local consumption. 

The price of salt supplied by the STC under the transportation subsidy is Rs. 9 per kg. Currently, consumers have to buy the salt that is being sold at the market price by paying five times more.

He informed that in the last fiscal year, as per the quota of 900 quintals of salt set by the STC for Sarkegad Rural Municipality, all the salt arrived and it was distributed to each ward according to the population from 47 to 55 quintals.

He said that the salt received by the ward was sold at the rate of 15 kg to all the households.

This amount of salt is not enough for a household annually, he said. 

Akil Karki, Ward Chairman of Sarkegad Rural Municipality-3, said that consumers were forced to purchase salt at a high price after they did not receive salt distributed by the Corporation. 

Karki said that it is sad that the Corproation provided salt under transportation subsidy, but when the salt was insufficient, consumers had to purchase it at a high price and use it.

According to the population, although the quota set by the STC is correct, in practice there is a shortage of salt, said Raj Bahadur Lama, chief of the STC branch office in Humla. 

The population of Sarkegad Rural Municipality is 10,688. 

He said that the shortage of salt is natural as not only humans consume the salt but also livestock and sheep and goats.