KALILOT, March 13: Ganesh Budha of Rupsa, Kalikot Narahari Nath Rural Municipality-4, came to the Salt Trading Corporation Limited office in Khandachakra Municipality-1 of Kalikot on Sunday to buy salt. The office gave him only five kilos of salt, citing a shortage.

Budha spent more than three thousand rupees to get salt from Narharinath Rural Municipality to Manm Bazar. It takes two days to reach Manm from Narharinath Rural Municipality. The old man paid Rs 500 vehicle fare from Narharinath Rural Municipality to Karnali Highway.

From there he paid Rs 300 more bus fares to Manm. “Five kilos of salt cost 45 rupees. I spent about Rs 2,500 while coming and going to Manm to buy salt worth Rs 45,” he said.

Junita Bhandara of Narharinath-1 said that since there is only one Salt Trading Corporation Limited office in the district, the consumers coming from far away have to spend thousands for five kilos of salt. She said, “When they come to get salt, they give only five kgs to one person. Five kgs of salt is not enough for many families, which say this isn’t sufficient even  for a month for some families. I have to spend Rs 2,500 on the two-way journey to fetch salt.” She said that although she intended to buy as much as 50 kg of salt at once, she had to return with five kgs of salt.

The office of Salt Trading Corporation Limited is only in Manm Bazar, Khandachakra Municipality, Kalikot. In Kalikot, a kilo of iodized salt costs Rs 9.

Due to the lack of salt in the district, five kilograms are being given to everyone in the district, said Dumbar Budha of Salt Trading Kalikot. He said that there is a lack of budget in the Ministry of Finance of the Government of Nepal and said that they are providing less salt because they are currently running low on stocks and the next consignment of salt is expected to arrive in the district by the next ten days.

According to the office, the depot was closed a few days ago due to the lack of salt.  When some salt arrives, it is distributed considering the distance the consumer has traveled to fetch the kitchen essencial. Daily 50 to 60 people come to the district to buy salt.

Locals of remote municipalities except Raskot Municipality of the district have to come to the district to buy salt. Muna Chaulagai of Khandachakra Municipality said that the consumers who come to buy salt from Tilagufa Municipality, Mahavai Rural Municipality, Palanta Rural Municipality and Pachaljharna Rural Municipality spend a lot of money.

.

 
• Salt_Trading_Corporation_Limited
 
• Karnali_Province
 
• salt