Sand lorry federation urges TN government to open river sand quarries and regulate M-sand prices
Tamil Nadu Sand and M Sand Lorry Owners Coordinate Welfare Federation has demanded that the State government must open river sand quarries to resolve scarcity of sand in the State.
Federation president R.Panneerselvam said the government must also take measures against overloading of sand lorries beyond the permitted limit that led to frequent accidents and revenue loss to the government. The Federation also demanded that the State government must engage direct sales of M sand through online system. The price of M-sand and other construction materials has gone up owing to shortage of river sand and rising demand. Only 10-20% of the sand demand is being met.
Though there are about 4,000 crusher units across the State, only 414 units have obtained quality certification. Some associations, including Tamil Nadu Sand Lorry Owners Association, have announced an indefinite strike from May 23 on similar demands.
Noting that the prices of M-Sand and P-Sand have increased since January, he said one unit of M-Sand was sold for ₹6,500 per unit compared to ₹4,500 per unit sold in January. Similarly, P-sand is being sold for a price up to ₹7,500. Moreover, a minimum of 5,000 sand lorry loads were transported to Kerala and Karnataka without proper transit bills. Sand lorry operators also raised concerns over overloading at crusher units without proper transit pass or GST bills, leading to fines or vehicle seizures.
The Federation members also recently met Minister for Natural Resources S. Regupathy who has assured them to take action for proper issuance of transit pass and GST bills and also regulate price of M-sand and P-sand.
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