T’puram: Chief minister V D Satheesan has written to his Tamil Nadu counterpart C Joseph Vijay seeking a review of the restrictions imposed by Tamil Nadu govt on the inter-state transportation of construction materials, including stone aggregates, stating the move has disrupted supplies and could delay the completion of several national highway projects in Kerala.In his letter, Satheesan referred to Tamil Nadu govt’s decision on July 9 regulating the inter-state transportation of rough stones and other construction materials. He said the decision has significantly affected the movement of stone aggregates from Tirunelveli, Tenkasi and Kanniyakumari to Kerala. These districts have traditionally been the principal source of aggregates required for several ongoing NH projects in the state.Satheesan pointed out that Kerala has limited availability of suitable stone aggregates for large-scale infrastructure works and therefore depends on neighbouring districts in Tamil Nadu for a substantial portion of the material required for road construction.Satheesan said the NH projects were important not only for Kerala but for the southern region as a whole, as they would strengthen regional connectivity, improve logistics, facilitate trade and tourism, and enhance access to major economic hubs in both states. He added that the projects would also provide seamless connectivity to Vizhinjam port and the container transshipment terminal at Vallarpadam, contributing to the economic growth and competitiveness of south India.While stating that he appreciated the Tamil Nadu govt’s objective of ensuring the sustainable management of natural resources, Satheesan said a balanced approach could be evolved to accommodate the requirements of nationally important infrastructure projects without compromising the state’s policy objectives.He urged Vijay to personally intervene and consider granting suitable relaxation or evolving an appropriate mechanism to facilitate the uninterrupted transportation of stone aggregates required exclusively for ongoing NH and other nationally significant infrastructure projects in Kerala.
