TENKASI: After the district police on Friday declared a ban on large vehicles with more than 10 wheels that transport minerals, including stone and m-sand, to Kerala via Puliyarai check post, drivers parked around 200 mineral-laden vehicles on the roadsides in Puliyarai.
"The ban is based on the Mines and Mineral Minister Durai Murugan's recent instruction. A letter in this connection was sent by the ministry to the district administration, which communicated the same to the police," said an official of the Mines Department. Minister Durai Murugan, during his recent press meeting in Tirunelveli, said that the collectors of Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli, and Tenkasi and officials of his department should seize the large-sized vehicles transporting minerals to Kerala and hand over them to the police personnel concerned.
The minister also urged officials to act against the large vehicles, responding to a demand of Kadayanallur MLA C Krishnamurali in the assembly. K Raviarunan, former MLA and president of Tenkasi Iyarkai Vala Paathukaappu Sangam said in a statement that even vehicles with just 10 wheels, which are resistant to the ban, are transporting up to 28 tonnes of minerals via village roads, violating the rules.
He also demanded the district administration not consider giving permission to the quarries and trucks for round-the-clock operation. The repeated attempts, made by TNIE to get District Collector Durai Ravichandran's response on this, ended in vain.