Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai   

Lorry owners protest police `high-handedness'

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI MARCH 31. Protesting the `high handed' attitude of the police and demanding abolition of middlemen in the sand quarry business, lorries and vans are not entering the city from tonight. However, vehicles transporting essential supplies including milk will be allowed to enter the city, according to the Federation of Lorry Owners' Associations.

The federation president, R. Sugumar and the Chennai Lorry Owners' Association president member, V.S.Yuvaraj, told reporters they were forced to take this step to highlight their plight. They charged that the police department collected exorbitant amounts from lorry owners as fine. They wanted the Government to form a committee to look into the alleged irregularities committed by the traffic wing of the police.

They charged that the State exchequer was losing huge revenue by allowing middlemen to control sand quarrying. Though they paid about Rs.1000 for each load, those controlling the quarries paid only Rs.130 to the Government. They wanted the Government to directly collect the money as done in other States and abolish the `middle man' system.

There was only one licensed quarry at Thiruvannamalai catering for the sand requirement in the city and this had led to `illegal quarrying'. The Government should allow more quarries at Chengalpet and Thiruvallur.

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