CHENNAI: Cash transactions replacing pay orders, and interference by local political functionaries are on the rise at sand quarries throughout the State, according to sand dealers.

"Oral instruction" to load an additional unit of sand in lorries, night operations at sites in Madurai, Tiruchi, Karur, Vellore and Chennai regions, and compulsion to pay "premium" to partymen and villagers too have contributed to the misery of sand transporters.

Sand sale by Public Works Department officials strictly on the basis of pay orders was introduced by the new Government days after it assumed office. But, now, the pay order regime had been replaced by cash transaction though cash dealings encouraged irregularities in the past, says R. Panneerselvam, secretary of the Federation of Tamil Nadu Sand Lorry Owners Associations.

At some sites in Tiruchi, sand transporters are forced to meet the road formation cost, while in Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts they have to buy demand drafts from local partymen for a premium, he said. A three-unit DD, worth Rs. 940, was sold for Rs. 1,300 and a two-unit DD for Rs. 626 was sold for Rs. 800. Now, many sand quarrying sites have partymen too, in addition to revenue, PWD and police personnel, he said. Payments such as "entry fee" ranging from Rs. 100 and contributions to village temple festivals too pushed up sand prices. In Madurai, Rs. 500 was collected as entry fee for vehicles, he said.

It is difficult to account for the sand quarried, sold and transported in night hours, said Federation president S. Yuvaraj. The cost of brick earth had increased manifold in the past few months, he said, adding that the brick cost had gone up to Rs. 9,300 from around Rs. 6,000 for a load of 3,000 bricks.

While the Motor Vehicles Act specifies that vehicles shall be checked and fined for overloading, for over a month now each truck is given three units of sand, weighing 14 tonnes, which is three-and-a-half tonnes in excess of the load permissible under the Act.

"Though loading an additional unit of sand in lorries was started following oral instructions, transport and police authorities still impound our vehicles and impose fine for overloading," Mr. Yuvaraj says. He also cites incidents where vehicle-owners had to pay a fine of Rs. 9,000 and Rs. 7,000 for overloading in Kancheepuram district.

Also, the Government has abruptly closed the Peyanoor sand quarry, near Chengalpattu, which was generating about 750 sand loads a day. There was no opposition from the locals and the road facility was good at the site, say the office-bearers.

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