The Tamil Nadu Sand Lorry Owners Federation has urged the State government reopen non-functioning government sand quarries and make sand available for construction works at a reasonable price.
In their petition to the Chief Minister, the sand lorry owners lamented that over 50,000 trucks are off the roads due to the lockdown in the State and the livelihood of lorry drivers and 30 lakh construction workers have been indirectly or directly affected due to non-availability of sand. The petitioners lamented that they are unable to repay loans to financiers due to lack of business.
The petitioners said that though the previous regime introduced online booking by opening few number quarries, sand was given on a priority basis to contractors in favour of previous regime reportedly for government contract works but it was sold illegally to others.
They said that due to the high price of sand, poor quality M-sand was used for construction works and it was being brought at high prices. The petitioners demanded that the State government should open M-sand quarries across the State and seal quarries, which does not possess quality certificate from the Public Works Department.
The petitioners urged the government to take measures to make sand available for construction at low prices.
