Nine people arrested for salt shortage rumour in Bihar

The state government alerted officials and police Thursday after it was reported that salt was being sold at an exorbitant Rs.50 to Rs.150 per kg in parts of state amid rumours of its acute shortage.

Rubbishing the rumours, Razak said that reports of a salt shortage in the state were baseless.

"It is purely a rumour, nothing else. We have appealed to people not to purchase salt from the blackmarket by paying four to ten times its original price," he said.

According to reports here, people in nearly a dozen districts, including Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Begusarai, Sitamarhi, Saharsa, Samastipur, Madhubani, Sheohar, have since Wednesday bought salt at Rs.50-150 per kg after the rumours of salt shortage.

Taking advantage of the rumours, traders and shopkeepers in these districts sold salt at higher price, he said. "I have asked the concerned officials to inquire into rumours and take action against those found responsible for it."

However, Razak blamed opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for spreading rumours to defame the state government and creating an artificial crisis.