Salem: The price of salt went up to 200- 350/kg in Salem after rumours over its shortage spread like fire on Monday evening. Hundreds of customers thronged departmental and grocery shops in the city, including Hasthampatti, Suramangalam, Kitchipalayam , Gugai, Fairlands, Ammapet, Shevapet areas, to buy salt.K R Kalidas, a departmental store owner, said, "Many shops stocked up huge quantity of salt in their shops following the rumours that spread since Monday evening." Salt was sold at a price of 200 to 350/kg, he said. Sivakumar , of Kitchipalayam, said he purchased 2kg of salt for 700 from a grocery store. "I received this information around 8pm. Immediately, I rushed to the nearest grocery store to buy salt," he said. He added that there was no salt in the store and he roamed for nearly an hour to get 2kg of salt.General secretary of Salem City Chamber of Commerce Jayaseelan said there is no shortage of common salt in the state. "People need not panic over this rumour," he said. He also advised the traders not to use the situation to jack up the price of salt but to inform their customers that it was just a rumour.Recently, similar rumours had spread in several other states and price of salt went up manifold. To scotch the rumours, the central government had announced that there was no shortage of salt.On Sunday, the department of consumer affairs said that there is no shortage of salt in the country and advised people not to indulge in panic buying.

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