Tamil Nadu Government is promoting M-sand (manufactured) for construction works as an alternative to river sand. Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy told the state Assembly, court orders prohibit exploring sand quarries. Intervening in a debate on the state budget, he said, sand is being imported from abroad at the moment and sold to the public.
He stressed that no sand quarry has been handed over to any private party. Earlier, Congress legislature party leader KR Ramasamy charged that private parties are buying sand from government go-downs at the rate of a few thousand rupees per truck load but sell them at the rate of 35-thousand rupees or even more in the market.