Sand rules: Tamil Nadu lorry owners allege corruption, seek digital reforms & policies for M-sand

Chennai: Tamil Nadu State Sand Lorry Owners Federation has urged state govt to introduce an E-Way Bill system for the mining sector, claiming the move could curb illegal transportation of minerals, eliminate corruption, and increase state revenue. They also wanted a manufactured sand (M-sand) policy to be formed for the crusher units.

In a representation submitted to minister for minerals and mines T K Prabhu on Friday, the association said that considering all major welfare schemes announced by state govt require substantial financial resources, reforms in the mining sector alone could generate up to ₹50,000 crore annually while plugging large-scale revenue leakages.

“The absence of a digital tracking mechanism has enabled illegal transportation of M-sand, overloading of vehicles, tax evasion, and unauthorised quarry operations across the state. Integrating a mining-specific E-Way Bill system with the transport department’s M Parivahan platform and GST network will ensure real-time monitoring of movement,” said S Yuvaraj, president of the federation

According to the representation, such a system would prevent overloaded vehicles from generating transport permits, allow authorities to verify mineral consignments through QR codes, and reduce opportunities for bribery at roadside checkpoints. The association also said that “illegal transport of minerals to neighbouring states such as Karnataka and Kerala” could be monitored and prevented through digital tracking. The petition alleged that a significant quantity of minerals is being transported without proper billing and documentation, resulting in losses to the state exchequer. It called for greater transparency in mineral dispatches and stronger enforcement against unauthorised quarrying and crushing operations, and said that digital tracking could monitor such activities.

Highlighting irregularities in the M-sand sector, the association claimed that while Tamil Nadu has around 4,000 M-sand production units, only 1,376 crushers have valid licences from the mines department. “The public works department quality certification has been granted to less than 480 units. Several unlicensed crushers continue to operate and supply materials without contributing revenue to the govt. Bringing such units under a digital permit and monitoring framework, would result in thousands of crores of additional revenue for the state,” Yuvaraj added.

The association has requested the minister to convene a meeting involving senior govtofficials, quarry operators, licence holders, lorry owners and police, to discuss reforms and formulate a comprehensive strategy to regulate the sector. “It has been 12 years since M-sand was first used used. A policy should be rolled out to regulate the crusher units,” he added.

Minister Prabhu was not available for comments.