Kerala Chief Minister Satheesan has written to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay seeking the withdrawal of restrictions imposed on transporting mineral resources to neighbouring states.
The Tamil Nadu government has issued an order placing a temporary three-month ban on moving materials such as granite, jelly stones and M-sand to other states. Puducherry and Karaikal have been exempted from the restriction.
In his letter, Satheesan said he was aware that Tamil Nadu had introduced regulations to control inter-state movement of construction materials including granite rocks and granite jelly. He warned that the curbs could severely affect national highway works in Kerala.
He noted that national highway projects are important not only for Kerala but for the wider South Indian region, as they strengthen connectivity, improve freight efficiency, and support trade and tourism while improving access to key economic centres in both states.
Satheesan said he understood the intent behind the policy and the need for sustainable management of natural resources, but requested Vijay’s intervention to consider suitable exemptions or a workable procedure to allow uninterrupted transport of jelly stones. He said he was awaiting a response.
