CHENNAI: Government is losing crores due to illegal sand mining by the sand mafia besides alleged bending of rules by government officials to create artificial demand, according to Tamil Nadu Lorry Owners Federation.M K Nagappan, general secretary, TN Lorry Owners Federation and South Chennai Lorry Owners Federation, alleged that lack of an agency to monitor the sale of sand has resulted in the escalation of price hitting the construction sector.Highlighting the apathy of public works department officials, he alleged that the department officials are violating the government order to provide two units of sand for small vehicles and four units for multi-axle vehicles in Cuddalore. “They are providing us with only three units from June 1, 2011,” Nagappan alleged, adding that they have to adjust the price of three units to four units.When PWD executive engineer Palanikumar was contacted by City Express, he did say a Government Order was there in 2003 to give four units of sand. However, a separate GO also came into being during the DMK regime in 2008 to provide three units of sand. “I was in Chennai to discuss the issue. The 2008 GO never said that four units of sand should not be issued. I will provide the usual quota of sand to the lorries,” he said.Nagappan also alleged that sand is being mined from a quarry in Thirukazhagukundram in Pattavatam near Kanchipuram district despite being closed by the government. “Tractors and bullock carts are being used to smuggle the sand,” he alleged. But when Varma, a sand quarry official, was contacted, he said the quarry will open from Wednesday and a kilometer-long road is being built by using the sand from the riverbed by using the tractors. But Nagappan said that rived sand is never used in laying the road. “Officials are bending the rules to create a artificial sand crisis in the city besides sand mafia is piling sand in their godown to sell it at the black market as well as for second sales,” he alleged.TN Sand and Lorry Owners Federation president S Yuvaraj told City Express that 55 per cent of the construction sector in the city is affected as only six quarries are functioning of the 22 quarries which were operating before elections. Now only 3,000 load of sand is being transported to the city against the demand of 10,000 to 12,000 load per day, he added. Currently, two quarries in Villupuram, two in Cuddalore, one in Kanchipuram and one in Vellore are functioning.
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