Tipper lorry operators staged demonstration in front of the collectorate here on Thursday demanding propriety at the sand stockyard located at Poondi village near Walajapet.
Sella Rajamani, President, Tamil Nadu Sand Lorry Owners’ Federation, led the protest. He said that for the past five years private individuals were allowed to run sand stock yard in the State and engage in second sales of sand. P. Karuppaiah has been allowed to run the stock yard at the Poondi village near Walajapet in Vellore district. They forced lorry operators to accept overload. As per the government order, six-wheeler lorries could transport two units of sand and 10-wheeler lorries three units. But the lorry operators were forced to transport three and five units respectively. A unit should be sold for Rs. 500. But at the stockyard sand was being sold at Rs.2,200 per unit. This caused loss to the exchequer, sand buyers, and lorry owners.
Lorry owners landed in trouble because of overloading which resulted in greater wear and tear of the vehicle besides attracting a fine at toll plazas and problems in claiming insurance. “We demand the government to take into account these issues and find a solution immediately. We demand CBI investigation into the irregularities at the sand stockyards,” he said.
