The agitation by the owners of stone quarries has brought the work in the infrastructure sector to a halt in Tamil Nadu, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami said on Wednesday. In a statement, he cited their demands — 30-year-long clearance for following environmental norms and operating the quarries; abolition of transit pass and stockyard norms; and prompt renewal of quarry licences. The frequency of inspection of the quarries by officials of the Departments of Environment and Mining and levy of penalties had gone up, they had said. Mr. Palaniswami called for talks between the association and the officials concerned to resolve the issues.
