From next month, the Salt Trading Corporation in Khalanga, the headquarters of Jumla district, will be making subsidised salt available at all ward offices in the district.

The new arrangement is expected to make life easier for the people from the district’s far-flung villages who would otherwise have to go to Khalanga, the district headquarters, and queue for hours at the corporation’s depot to buy subsidised salt.

On Sunday, a brawl broke out among the locals who had reached the depot to buy salt. People who were queuing up outside the depot waiting for their turn got angry when latecomers started cutting the line. Khagendra Malla, head of the Salt Trading Corporation office in Jumla, said such confrontations occur regularly although there is no shortage of salt.

“People started throwing stones at the depot and the employees too. These things happen here quite frequently,” said Malla. “It could be because some people tend to jump the queue fearing that the salt stock might run out before their turn comes.”

After Sunday’s fight at the depot, the corporation decided to send salt directly to ward offices. “It will prevent future quarrels and also save the locals from the hassle of making long journeys to the district headquarters just to buy salt,” said Malla. “It will save their money and time.”

The Salt Trading Corporation, Jumla, sells subsidised salt at Rs9 per kg. One person can buy five packets of 1 kg each at one time. Preparations are afoot to send the first consignment of subsidised salt to the ward offices.

Jaya Kumar Ghimire, chief district officer of Jumla, said that an investigation is going on regarding the incident in the office on Sunday. “We don’t want a repeat of Sunday’s incident. The crowd was uncontrollable. They even vandalised the office,” said Ghimire. “That’s why we decided to coordinate with the ward offices for effective management and distribution of subsidised salt.”

According to Ghimire, with the new distribution arrangement, salt will be directly transported to the ward offices from the corporation’s depots. “This will minimise chaos during the time of purchase. Although there are two other depots in the district, Khalanga is more accessible so everybody comes here, hence the crowding and frequent disputes and fights.”

There are three salt depots in the district—at Khalanga, Narakot, and Goruchaur. The corporation will transport the salt to these depots, and from there, the officials of the local unit can take the salt to their offices.

According to the Salt Trading Corporation, an annual quota of 2,500 quintals of salt was approved for Jumla last year, but the district faced a shortage for almost a month owing to a delay in the shipment. For this year, 2,800 quintals have been approved, but it can also be increased if needed.

“In order to prevent shortage, the corporation first wants to transport the approved quota of 2,800 quintals of salt into the depots of Jumla before the distribution from the ward offices starts. So far, 840 quintals of salt have already been transported to the Khalanga depot, 550 quintals to Narakot, and 670 quintals to Goruchaur,” said Malla. “An additional 200 quintals are being transported from Nepalgunj. It should reach the Khalanga depot in a day or two. The rest of the salt for this year will also be transported soon.”