Assistant salt commissioner Rajesh Nagar inspects a stock point in Motihari on Sunday. Telegraph picture

Assistant salt commissioner of the Union government Rajesh Nagar is satisfied with the availability of the essential commodity in East Champaran district.

The official reached Bihar late on Saturday on a four-day visit to assess the situation following rumours of salt shortage in several Bihar districts. The rumours, spread by some vested interests, had triggered panic sale of salt at exorbitant rates a few days ago.

The assistant salt commissioner visited a number of places on Sunday and expressed satisfaction at the situation in East Champaran, where, at many places, salt was selling at Rs 100-150 on Thursday. The market price of iodised salt is around Rs 20 per kg.

Though there is neither any salt scarcity nor has the government imposed any controls on the commodity, the official’s visit assumes significance. Nagar is to visit several places in Gaya, Patna, Nawada and Nalanda districts to study the situation there.

Speaking about the three major salt-producing states like Gujarat, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, the assistant salt commissioner refuted rumours that Gujarat had stopped supply of the commodity to Bihar. He told The Telegraph: “There is free movement of salt in the state and, moreover, eight rakes of salt from Gujarat and Rajasthan are on their way. In fact, three rakes are expected to reach Bihar on Sunday itself.”

Nagar also expressed satisfaction with the Bihar government’s quick action following reports of salt shortage from the districts.

He said the administration swung into action immediately to control the situation within 24 hours.

The rumours had started in Samastipur after a vernacular daily reported that prices of salt could go up in the state in the wake of closure of salt-producing units in Odisha after cyclone Phailin hit the state last month.

As soon as shops in Samastipur town opened up on Thursday, there was panic buying of salt.

The message spread like wildfire in neighbouring districts of Muzaffarpur, Madhubani and Sitamarhi districts and the shopkeepers there began selling salt packets at exorbitant rates.

Such was the panic and rumour-mongering, that the domestic help of an SP posted in a north Bihar district had purchased 10kg of salt from a shop to tide over the crisis.

The situation took an ugly turn after some buyers thrashed a shopkeeper.

In Nawada, some people attacked a grocery shop in the heart of the town and fled with salt packets.

Later, principal secretary of food and consumer protection department, Shishir Sinha, said he enquired into supply of salt from Odisha and found there was neither any shortage, nor disruption in supply. “This is purely an artificial crisis,” he had said.

Afterwards, the government instructed officers to lodge cases under Essential Commodities Act against hoarders. Altogether, 21 persons were arrested for allegedly selling salt at exorbitant prices and 13 FIRs were lodged with different police stations.

Even food and consumer protection department’s principal secretary Shishir Sinha had confirmed earlier that there was no scarcity of the commodity and had blamed the shortage rumours on a well-planned conspiracy, adding that a similar rumour had spread in Odisha earlier.

Evading questions on possible links of those arrested with any political party, Sinha had confirmed stocks of salt had reached Bihar from Odisha, Gujarat and Rajasthan.