Since late July 2026 buyers in the Chennai belt have asked us two questions: does the Tamil Nadu ban affect lorries coming in from Andhra Pradesh, and what papers must such a load carry. This page answers both as the rules stand on 10 September 2026.
What the 28 July 2026 order says
On 28 July 2026 the Tamil Nadu Director of Geology and Mining issued an order restricting, for three months, the transport of rough stone, crushed stone (metal jelly, ஜல்லி jalli), M-Sand (எம் சாண்ட்), ballast and similar quarry products from Tamil Nadu to Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. Puducherry and Karaikal are exempt. It is enforced under the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Illegal Mining, Transportation and Storage of Minerals and Mineral Dealers Rules, 2011, so a TN-origin lorry leaving the state can be stopped and checked.
| Item | What the order provides |
|---|---|
| Issued by | Director of Geology and Mining, Government of Tamil Nadu |
| Date | 28 July 2026 |
| Duration | Three months (to about the end of October 2026) |
| Materials | Rough stone, boulders, crushed stone / metal jelly, M-Sand, ballast and related quarry products |
| Direction | Outbound only: Tamil Nadu to Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala |
| Exempt | Puducherry and Karaikal |
| Not covered | Movement into Tamil Nadu from other states; movement within Tamil Nadu |
Why it happened: the 2025 to 2026 background
The order is best read as the state keeping its quarry output of ஜல்லி and எம் சாண்ட் at home for the season. The levy numbers that get quoted alongside it are from 2025 and are often mixed up, so here is the sequence:
- Mineral Bearing Land Tax. Tamil Nadu introduced a new levy on mineral-bearing land (Act 9 of 2025). In April 2025 the quarry and crusher associations raised crushed stone, M-Sand and P-Sand by Rs 1,000 per unit citing that tax; on 28 April 2025 the state had the increase rolled back.
- Seigniorage cut. By notification of 20 May 2025 (SRO A-12(a)/2025) Tamil Nadu reduced the seigniorage fee on rough stone, including metal jelly and ballast, from Rs 60 per MT to Rs 33 per MT (M-Sand is not levied separately; the fee is paid on the rough stone).
- Monsoon season. Property-portal and trade reports put the usual June to September premium on sand and aggregate in Chennai at roughly 10 to 15 percent.
These are Tamil Nadu levies on Tamil Nadu quarries; they do not apply to Andhra-origin material and we do not quote them as our royalty. The seigniorage change itself is Rs 27 per MT (we have not verified the land-tax rate), so availability, transport lead and season explain far more of any month’s price.
What the order does not cover
- A tipper loaded in Tirupati district and unloaded in Tiruvallur district is an inbound inter-state movement. The order does not restrict it, nor movement within Tamil Nadu.
- It is a transport restriction, not a price control; it fixes no rate.
- It does not change GST, e-way bill or weighbridge rules.
Our material is arranged from the Perindesam granite deposit in Tirupati district, Andhra Pradesh, through our group company’s long-term raw-material arrangements and a three-year boulder supply agreement with an operating quarry on the same deposit; a 250 TPH crushing and sand-washing plant is being set up there, with commercial operations planned for 2027.
Papers an AP-origin load must carry into Tamil Nadu
An Andhra load needs no permission from Tamil Nadu to enter, but it must be a legal load in Andhra Pradesh and a properly invoiced inter-state supply under GST. Tamil Nadu check posts and industrial-estate gates may verify the papers. Every load we dispatch carries the following.
| Document | Who issues it | What to check at the gate |
|---|---|---|
| AP e-transit pass (OMEPS e-permit) | The lessee or registered dealer, online through the AP Mines department system | Vehicle number, mineral, quantity and destination match the lorry in front of you. Since December 2020 AP issues e-permits only to GPS-tracked trucks. |
| Weighbridge slip | The crusher weighbridge at loading | Gross, tare and net; net should agree with the e-permit and invoice quantity. We weigh every load and sell by weighbridge tonne, not by யூனிட் (unit, 100 cft). |
| GST tax invoice | Supplier | HSN 2517, IGST 5% for AP to TN supply, both GSTINs where the buyer is registered, and royalty (AP seigniorage, DMF and MERIT as applicable) as a separate line. |
| E-way bill | Supplier, on the GST portal | Required wherever consignment value exceeds Rs 50,000 inter-state; valid one day per 200 km. |
The e-way bill arithmetic
The inter-state threshold is Rs 50,000 of consignment value. A 10-wheeler tipper legally carries 16 to 20 MT (18 MT is usual). At the indicative ex-works rate of Rs 660 per MT for 20 mm blue metal, 18 MT is about Rs 11,880 before royalty, transport and GST, so a single tipper on its own invoice normally sits below the line. It crosses when one invoice covers several tippers (three loads of M-Sand at Rs 780 per MT is about Rs 42,120 before transport and GST) or is a delivered price. We generate the e-way bill whenever the invoice requires it; registered builders, RMC plants and contractors can take input tax credit on the 5% GST, subject to their tax adviser’s confirmation.
Planning supply for Q4 2026 pours
If you have slabs, footings or a road base due between October and December 2026, this is how we suggest working it out. None of it depends on whether the order is extended.
- Convert the programme to tonnes. One யூனிட் (100 cft, 2.832 m³) is roughly 4.1 to 4.5 MT of 20 mm and 4.5 to 5.0 MT of M-Sand depending on moisture. A 1,000 sq ft slab at 5 inches needs about 15 to 16 MT of 20 mm and 8 MT of M-Sand (M20 nominal mix); a kilometre of 7 m wide GSB at 200 mm compacted is about 3,080 MT. See 1 unit of jalli = how many tons and how much jalli and M-Sand for a 1,500 sq ft house.
- Count tipper loads, not units. Divide the tonnage by 18 MT per 10-wheeler and round up: 60 MT of 20 mm is four loads.
- Allow for the lead. From our works at Perindesam it is approximately 67 km by road to Tiruvallur, 76 km to Sri City, 82 km to Gummidipoondi, 83 km to Red Hills, 85 km to Ponneri, 89 km to Avadi and 90 km to Madhavaram in North Chennai; daytime heavy-vehicle timing rules apply on some inner Chennai roads. See the Chennai, Gummidipoondi, Ponneri and Tiruvallur pages.
- Share the pour calendar early. Dispatch is by a contracted fleet of 10-wheeler tippers scheduled from the weighbridge; more notice makes it easier to hold trucks against your dates.
- Compare on a delivered basis. Ex-works rate plus royalty plus transport plus 5% GST is the number that matters. Our current indicative ex-works rates for 20 mm, 12 mm, crusher dust (கிரஷர் டஸ்ட்), M-Sand and the other grades are on the pricing page (excluding royalty, transport and GST, confirmed at order), and we quote a delivered price for your pincode on request. For context, publicly listed Chennai delivered quotes in August and September 2026 ranged roughly Rs 850 to 1,400 per MT for 20 mm and Rs 1,050 to 1,500 per MT for M-Sand (bulk versus retail, zone and GST treatment explain the spread); we are quoting the market, not any one competitor.Ex-works vs delivered price walks through the build-up.
- Ask for the paper trail before the first load. A supplier who can show a sample e-permit, weighbridge slip and invoice format in advance is far less likely to have lorries held at a gate in November. Checking quality at site covers the load itself.
After October 2026: check the status
Three months from 28 July 2026 ends around 28 October 2026. As of 10 September 2026 we have not seen a notification extending or lifting the order. Before booking loads for November onwards, check the Tamil Nadu Geology and Mining department’s notifications or your district office; we will update this page when there is something definite. Either way, as the rules stand, inbound Andhra material is outside the order: a tipper from Tirupati district with an AP e-permit, weighbridge slip, GST invoice and, where needed, an e-way bill is a legal load before, during and after the restriction.
Need tonnage for a Q4 pour in the Chennai, Ponneri, Gummidipoondi, Tiruvallur or Avadi belt? Run a first number on the delivered-cost estimator on the pricing page, then send material, quantity, site and dates through the quote form, or call or WhatsApp +91 90039 03003 for a load-by-load schedule and the current ex-works rate.
Quick answers
Does the Tamil Nadu ban stop blue metal or M-Sand coming from Andhra Pradesh into Chennai?
No. The 28 July 2026 order restricts rough stone, crushed stone, M-Sand and ballast leaving Tamil Nadu for Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. Material entering Tamil Nadu from Andhra Pradesh is not covered by that order.
What papers should a lorry of Andhra aggregate carry into Tamil Nadu?
An AP e-transit pass (OMEPS e-permit) tied to the vehicle number and quantity, a weighbridge slip, a GST tax invoice under HSN 2517 with IGST at 5%, and an e-way bill wherever the consignment value exceeds Rs 50,000.
Is an e-way bill needed for every tipper load?
Only when the consignment value exceeds Rs 50,000 for an inter-state movement. A single 18 MT load of 20 mm at an indicative Rs 660 per MT is about Rs 11,880 ex-works, so it usually falls below the line; a multi-truck or delivered-price invoice can cross it.
How long is the Tamil Nadu restriction in force?
The order of 28 July 2026 was for three months, which runs to about the end of October 2026. Check the Tamil Nadu Geology and Mining notifications for any extension before planning November loads.
Is the Rs 33 per MT Tamil Nadu seigniorage charged on Andhra material?
No. The Rs 33 per MT rate (revised from Rs 60 in May 2025) applies to Tamil Nadu quarries. AP-origin material attracts Andhra Pradesh seigniorage, DMF and MERIT as applicable, which we itemise separately on the invoice.