the Hon'ble Minister, Civil Supplies, accompanied by the Director-General personally discussed the matter with the Central Ministry and pressed for placing salt on O.G.L. Urgent reminders were sent to the Central Government to expedite dispatches from Karachi and to import from abroad. This was continued in September and the Central Government were asked again to place salt on O.G.L. The Director-General went to Karachi again in September to apprise the Central Government of the deteriorating position. Our suggestions for foreign import were turned down in the first week of October on the ground that foreign salt may not be cheaper and that the capacity for discharging the cargo at Chittagong and Chalna ports was strictly limited. They also informed us that arrangements were being made to charter foreign ships for the carriage of salt from Karachi to East Bengal even by paying higher freight.
Apart from departmental efforts the Hon'ble Prime Minster took up to question with the Central Government very strongly during his visit to Karachi. Salt ships began to arrive from the middle of October when the price of the commodity had already gone out of control. From the middle of October, we have been receiving salt ships in quick: succession and before the month was over we had 4 ships in Chittagong and 1 at Chalna with altogether 7,46,429 maunds of Karachi salt. We have also been informed that 6 other ships are sailing by middle of November with another 8,87,000 maunds. In addition, the Central Government are understood to be planning to import 10,00,000 maunds of salt from foreign countries and have assured the Province a regular supply of 7,00,000 maunds per month. According to this programme we will have received 16,33,000 maunds during the period of 6 weeks, from the 15th of October to the 30" November against a requirement of 9 to 10 lakh maunds. So we expect to have a reserve of over 5 lakh maunds by the end of November, 1951.
Meanwhile what supplies had been received in the month of October, 1951 were rushed to all the areas in the Province and the local officers were instructed to distribute salt at controlled prices. Some local officers had already been doing this others started distribution on receiving supplies. In all towns supplies were given through ration shops at prices ranging between As. 4 to As. 5 per seer and in rural areas supplies were sent through selected retailers and prices ranging between As. 4 to As. 6.were fixed. Due to the haste in which the distribution had to be organised there have been reports of black marketing even by merchants working under Government control. Every such case coming to the notice of Government was pursued and the offender punished.
Two employees of a wholesaler of Pirojpur have been arrested for selling salt in violation of the order issued by the Sub divisional Controller. Another wholesaler of Pirojpur was arrested for stealthily disposing of part of his stocks. Many more arrests had been made at other places. One wholesaler of Dacca who was found issuing salt on short weight has been blacklisted. Similar action has been taken in Mymensingh and other districts. All the officers have been instructed to take action against hoarders and have been told that good work done in this connection will be specially recognized by Government.
Apart from these measures action is being taken under the Public Safety Ordinance against merchants selling salt at scandalously high prices. We take the opportunity of
