Kathmandu, Oct 31 . The Salt Trading Corporation (STC) has assured that there was sufficient stock of iodized salt in all 25 remote districts in the country.
Senior Information Office at the STC, Brajesh Kumar Jha said Solukhmbu, Manag, Mustang, Rukum, Jumla, Dolpa, Kalikot and Mugu among other districts had altogether 31,451.31 quintals of stock of this essential mineral.
Salt is needed for our body’s nerves and fluid level. It provides a proper balance of nutrients that include mineral and elements that our body can utilize. In a landlocked country like ours, salt is not produced here thus the import of salt is largely depended on India.
Information Officer Jha shared that altogether 192,000 metric tonnes of salt is consumed in Nepal annually. A total of 1,400 quintal of salt was imported from Tibet this year.
STC has been dispatching this imported salt adding iodine at Hilsa bordering point in Humla. STC has been transporting salt in 53 places of 17 districts in the country at subsidized price.
Government of Nepal has been bearing the transportation cost of the salt while STC has been selling salt proving subsidy of Rs 6 per packet, said Jha.
Salt now cost Rs 20 per kg following a government decision in 2017. He clarified that STC always keeps adequate stock of salt required for six months so as to ensure smooth supply of salt across the country.
STC has been selling salt with various names such as ‘Ionun’, ‘Shakti nun’, ‘Bhanu nun’ and ‘Tej nun’. It sends Aayo nun in the city areas while Shakti in Terai area and Tej nun in remote areas.
