Despite having enough salt in the country, the Commerce Ministry on Wednesday allowed the import of 1.5 lakh tonnes of salt at the request of the Industries Ministry ahead of Eid-ul-Adha. However, according to traders, there is a shortage of five lakh tonnes of salt. The government will allow the import of another three and a half lakh tonnes in phases.
According to the concerned agencies of the government, the total annual demand of salt in the country is 23 lakh tonnes. 60 to 70 thousand tons of salt is required for Eid-ul-Adha. It takes another 30,000 tons to finalize the leather after Eid, where there is a stock of three and a half million tons of salt.
AKM Ali Ahad Khan, Additional Secretary, Department of Import and Internal Commerce, Ministry of Commerce, told Kaler Kanth that steps have been taken to curb excess demand and stocks of traders on Eid-ul-Adha. For this, on the recommendation of the Ministry of Industry, permission was given to import 1.5 lakh tonnes of salt on Wednesday.
Some unscrupulous traders have been accused of making artificial profits by making an artificial crisis on Eid-ul-Adha. This time the government has allowed the import of salt to prevent this situation. Of this, leather traders have stockpiled 80 per cent of the required salt. Even after this, if a crisis is created or the price of salt is increased, the Department of Consumer Rights and Protection, a government surveillance agency, will file a case.
However, traders believe that if the import of salt is not allowed, a terrible crisis may arise. On the other hand, if edible salt is introduced in the name of industrial salt, the salt industry will fall into a deep crisis. Millers, farmers, the government and consumers will suffer.
Asked about this, Nurul Kabir, president of the Salt Industry Owners’ Association, told Kaler Kanth that the government has allowed the import of 1.5 lakh tonnes of salt for leather around Eid-ul-Adha. It is a timely decision. Besides, the government will allow the import of three and a half lakh tonnes in phases.
He fears that illegal salt is entering the country’s market from Myanmar. The concerned surveillance agencies of the government should be vigilant so that illegal salt is not imported in the name of import.
AHM Shafiquzzaman, director general of the consumer rights department, told Kaler Kanth that the commerce ministry has allowed the import of 1.5 lakh tonnes of salt to curb manipulation in the salt market on the occasion of the upcoming Eid. Mentioning that there is sufficient stock of salt in the country, he said that despite having sufficient salt in the market, a bag of salt has exceeded Rs. This time the salt will not be more than 15 to 20 rupees per kg. In this case, the price of salt can not be taken in any way. The case will be filed only if there is manipulation.
Regarding the skin of the sacrificial animal, he said, the situation will not be allowed to be created like last time with the skin of the upcoming Eid of the sacrifice. In the last sacrifice, the skin rotted due to lack of salt and was thrown into the river. The leather was thrown from the truck. The intelligence agencies are working hard to prevent anyone from raising the price of salt, and the department is also in a tough position.
