'223 quarries got permit this year'

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Industries minister E P Jayarajan informed the assembly that since January this year, the government has given sanction for 223 quarries in the state. Most number of quarries has been sanctioned in Ernakulam district - 47.


In Palakkad , 35 quarries were sanctioned, followed by 32 in Malappuram .

Twenty-three each were allotted in Kannur and Kozhikode, 16 in Pathanamthitta and 15 in Thiruvananthapuram . Only one quarry was sanctioned in Wayanad district .

The minister said in the ecologically-fragile areas, the sanction for quarries is not being given by the mining and geology department. However, there are several quarries existing in these areas. The government has decided not to renew the licences of these quarries.

NHAI not supporting state, says PWD minister

: Public works minister G Sudhakaran said the state is not getting enough support from the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). For all the needs of the state, the NHAI is taking decisions at a slow pace. Despite the chief minister meeting Union minister for road transport several times, the NHAI officials are not giving enough support to the state, he said.