SALEM: The Tamil Nadu Sand Lorry Owners Federation have urged the Edappadi Palaniswami-led government to permit private companies to import sand from abroad for sale in the domestic market to control the retail sand price in the state.
In a representation, the association president, Sella Rasamani, said, “in a recent High court order, the state government was instructed to purchase 50,000 units of sand, which was imported from Malaysia by a Pudukottai-based private company by fixing a rate of Rs 2,050 per unit. Meanwhile, state government has announced that traders can purchase the sand at Rs 9,990 per unit.
The high price is shocking for sand lorry owners, as we get for Rs 1,330 per unit from river sand quarries.” Mr. Sella Rasamani said that if the imported sand was to be purchased for such a high price mentioned by government, the cost per unit would shoot up to Rs 20,000 per unit when it reaches customers across state.
Stating that it will affect the construction industry severely, he said in order to protect the lorry owners, construction firms and workers, state government should permit all private companies which apply for importing sand from abroad.
Companies should be allowed to involve in retail sales of sand and it would help to reduce sand price in Tamil Nadu, he urged, adding, PWD officials should take responsibility to check the quality of sand. He also called for opening 70 river sand quarries as announced by the government earlier.
