HUBBALLI/KALABURAGI: CASHING in on the rumours that there is a short supply of salt, some shopkeepers in the region sold the essential commodity at inflated prices.
While salt was at upto Rs 50 in Hubballi on Saturday evening, it sold at Rs 30-40 in Kalaburagi. The prices escalated after rumours spread that there is an acute shortage of salt in the market and it will not be available easily in the coming days.
In old parts of Hubballi, many grocery stores were running out of stock as public throng stores to buy the essential commodity in large quantities.
A grocery shop owner at Anand Nagar said he sold seven bags of salt weighing 50 kg each from evening and by the end of the day, there was no stock.
“I have ordered 25 packets of salt and it will be available by Sunday morning. People should not panic that it will not be available easily. These just rumours and people should not listen to it”, he said.
Another shop owner said he is selling salt at Rs 25 per kg and people from different parts of the city came there to purchase it.
Deputy Commissioner SB Bommanalli said, “There have been a few cases of panic purchase. We are requesting people not get panic. If they found that the salt is being sold at higher price they should get bill for the purchase and inform us we will take strict action against those shopkeepers”.
Mad rush to buy salt in Chamarajanagar, Mysuru villages
Mysuru: Following rumours that soon there will be acute scarcity of salt and prices may shoot up, people thronged grocery stores to buy salt packets.This was reported from Ramanahalli and other villages on the outskirts of Mysuru city.
There was high demand for salt in markets as many made a beeline for grocery stores. In Yalandur, salt was sold out by afternoon There is rumour that sugar prices may go up in a couple of days.
But, no one from Food and Civil Supplies Department gave any clarification on this issue.