The representatives of salt manufacturers corroborate his statement. ``If there is any scarcity it is artificially made and it is for the government to take action against such elements, says K Mariappan, president of the Covelong Salt Manufacturers & Merchants Association.

The country needs 60 lakh tonnes of edible salt and another 60 lakh for industrial use. The total production between December and August every year exceeds 130 lakh tonnes. Gujarat accounts for 70 per cent of this by producing 100 lakh tonnes. Tamil Nadu comes next with 25 lakh tonnes; Andhra Pradesh produces three lakh tonnes. Small quantities areproduced by West Bengal, Orissa, Maharashtra, Karnataka and also Rajasthan. Almost 96 per cent of the salt in the country is produced in the private sector. Hindustan Salts Ltd produces only limited quantities.

About 15 lakh tonnes of salt had been washed away by the floods in parts of Gujarat in June 1998. There had been a production loss of another 12 lakhs. ``But surplus stocks and production in other areas had compensated this loss and there is at present enough stocks,'' the deputy salt commissioner said.

``As of September 1998, production of 110 lakh tonnes has been registered with the Salt Department. Out of this, there is a stock of 75 lakh tonnes which is sufficient to meet the requirements of the remaining months,'' he added.

Up to September the production in the southern states had been 16 lakh tonnes and there is a stock of 7.5 lakh tonnes, Meena said.

Major part of the salt in Tamil Nadu is produced in the Tuticorin region, 15 lakh tonnes, followed by Vedaranyam, 4 lakh tonnes,Ramanathapuram District, 2 lakh tonnes, Marakanam, 60,000 tonnes, Cheyyur, 15,000 tonnes and areas near Chennai 1.5 lakh tonnes.

TN supplies salt to West Bengal, Orissa and Assam. Two lakh tonnes are exported from Tuticorin to Bangladesh, The Philippines and African countries.

Against the production of over 28 lakh tonnes of salt, the southern states consume about 13 lakh tonnes of common salt. Tamil Nadu 3.6 lakh tonnes, AP 4.5 lakh tonnes, Karnataka 3 lakh tonnes, Kerala 2 lakh tonnes, and Pondycherry 3,000 tonnes.

Tamil Nadu has 126 salt iodization plants with a capacity to produce 16 lakh tonnes and AP has 59 such plants to produce 4.5 lakh tonnes.

Salt prices as on October 31 in Tamil Nadu were: Chennai, Rs 65-70 (a quintal), Marakanam, Rs 60- 65, Vedaranyam Rs 35-50 and Tuticorin Rs 55-65. Crushed iodised salt: 25 kg pack Rs 44. There has been no significant change since then.

Some of the corporate houses like Tatas together produce 7.5 lakh tonnes of premium branded free-flow iodised crystalsalt. Hindustan Lever (Annapoorna) is the only multinational in the Indian salt market.