Motihari, Dec. 11: Residents of all villages across the state would soon get iodised salt at rates cheaper than the market price.

A letter issued by the health secretary-cum-executive director of State Health Society on December 1, Sanjay Kumar, stated that the salt would be distributed through public dist-ribution system (PDS) shops.

The letter added that the programme would be launched in all six districts of the Tirhut division on an experimental basis soon. Once the scheme is successfully implemented, a review would be held at the state-level in two phases.

Following this, the programme would be extended to other districts of the state, stated the letter that was addressed to the principal secretary of the food and consumer protection department.

“Availability of iodised salt to every household of the state is among the administrative commitments of the government. The state wants to ensure its supply to even the remote areas of Bihar through community awareness,” the letter said.

Copies of the said letter have also been sent to the salt commissioner of the Government of India, the nutrition advisor-cum-director general of Union health services, the nutrition expert of Unicef and the general secretary of Iodised Namak Aapurtikarta Kalyan Sangh, Bihar.

A local surgeon Dr Ashutosh Sharan. said the entire Terai region near the Himalayas was prone to diseases caused by lack of iodine content either in salt, food or fruits.