The authorities concerned are working to ensure fair price for salt farmers, said Industry Ministry Secretary Zakia Sultana.
BSCIC, the Ministry of Industries and its affiliates, has been working tirelessly to ensure fair prices as well as quality of salt at all levels from production to retailers. The Iodized Salt Act 2021 has already been passed in the Parliament. The draft of National Salt Policy 2021 prepared by the Ministry of Industries is awaiting the approval of the Cabinet Division.
She said this while addressing an exchange of views with salt farmers and salt mill owners at the conference room of Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner's Office in Cox’s Bazar on Monday. The meeting was chaired by Additional Deputy Commissioner of Cox's Bazar while Cox's Bazar-2 MP Ashek Ullah Rafique, reserved women’s seat-8 MP Kaniz Fatema Ahmed, BSCIC chairman Md Mushtaq Hasan, district Awami League president and representatives of Salt Farmers Association and Salt Mill Owners Association were present.
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The Industries Secretary said, “The Commerce Ministry has been initially recommended to import 3.16 tonnes of salt as the production volume is less than the demand. A committee headed by the deputy commissioner will be formed soon to determine the actual salt reserves at the field level.”
She instructed the concerned to set annual targets as per the demand of salt in May before the production season and also to formulate a time bound action plan. She assured that a decision on import of salt would be taken in due course. She urged BSCIC to take initiative in allocating land among the real salt farmers in collaboration with the district administration and land ministry to reduce the cost of production. Zakia called for increasing the use of modern technology in quality and high salt production. Advises those concerned to conduct regular monitoring and mobile court to prevent artificial rise in price of edible salt and to ensure sale at real weight.
Later she visited Chaufaldandi Salt Exhibition and Training Center, Salt Field and Islampur Salt Mills.
