Chennai: Alliance partners of the DMK, including the Congress, MDMK, and other social activists, will be blocking the mineral-laden trucks bound from Tenkasi to Kerala from May 16.
Tenkasi Green Forum (TGF), a group of environmentalists, have also raised strong allegation against the government authorities for allowing the mineral wealth from Tenkasi to be transported in trucks to Kerala.
M. Selvaraj Babu of the TGF while interacting with IANS said: “The mineral wealth from Tenkasi district of Tamil Nadu is transported illegally to Kerala and this is to be blocked. We have given several petitions to the state government but to no avail. Hence we have decided to block the trucks bound for Kerala from May 16 onwards.”
Naam Tamilar Katchi, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, and Tamilaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam cadres will also participate in the road blockade of mineral-laden trucks to Kerala.
The joint action council of political parties and activists has also written to the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary to cancel the mining license of quarries in Tiruvengadam, Andipatti, Therkumadathur, and Perumpathu.
The meeting lambasted the state government for allowing mineral-laden vehicles from Tenkasi reaching Punalur, Kottarakara, Adoor, and Kottayam areas of Kerala and using as M-sand for construction purposes. Former MLA, K. Raviarunan who is spearheading the movement against quarry owners who are transporting minerals to Kerala while speaking to IANS said: “We have intimated the state government several times regarding the illegal transfer of minerals from Tamil Nadu to Kerala and had even conducted a protest at Pavoorchatram on April 25 and there was no response from the state government. It is not right for the mineral wealth of our state to be stolen away and we will block mineral-laden trucks from Tenkasi district to Kerala from May 16.”
The AIADMK has also taken up the issue and the Kadayannur MLA and AIADMK leader, C. Krishnamurthy has requested the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker for allowing a calling attention motion on the subject in the House.
–IANS