Thanjavur Tipper Lorry Owners Protest Against Permit Delays for Gravel Sand Transportation

In a strong show of dissent, tipper lorry owners from Thanjavur staged a protest on Friday, raising serious concerns over the delay in granting transport permits for gravel sand. The lorry operators gathered in front of the district collector’s office, voicing their frustration with the Assistant Director of the Mines Department, whom they blame for failing to issue permits for transporting government-notified gravel sand from local quarries.

The lorry owners alleged that, despite the availability of gravel sand in nearly ten notified quarries across the region, authorities have not granted them permission to transport the material. This inaction, they said, has brought their operations to a complete standstill, leaving several trucks idle and drivers without work for weeks.

Many of the protesting drivers and owners shared that the continued inactivity is having a direct impact on their financial stability. With monthly vehicle loan EMIs to be paid and no work on hand, several truck owners are slipping into debt. “We’re unable to make ends meet, and we’re being pushed into a crisis because officials are not processing our transport permits,” one protester said.

The protestors handed over a petition to the Thanjavur District Collector, requesting immediate intervention to resolve the issue. In the petition, they demanded that the necessary permissions be granted at the earliest so that transportation activities from the designated gravel sand quarries could resume. They also stressed that there has been no official explanation for the delay, adding to their frustration and uncertainty.

Transporting gravel sand is a critical part of local infrastructure and construction supply chains, and the stalling of this activity has a ripple effect on builders, contractors, and labourers in the region. The lorry owners urged the district administration to ensure smooth coordination between the Mines Department and other concerned authorities so that similar disruptions do not occur in the future.

As the demand for construction materials remains steady in Tamil Nadu, the protest highlights the need for timely government action to support those who form the backbone of the supply chain – the transporters.