Vehicles transporting sand and other minerals across Tamil Nadu will soon require QR-coded digital permits in place of paper transit documents, as the state government moves to crack down on illegal shipments carried out using forged passes. The overhaul covers minerals classified as both major and minor under existing law.

How the New System Works

Natural Resources Minister D.K. Prabhu said permits will be generated through the state's Mineral Management System (MIMAS) portal, and manual passes will be discontinued once the platform goes live. No formal launch date has been announced by the department.

Each digital permit will embed details of the consignment — including the quantity transported and the quarry of origin — that can be verified by field officials at any point along the route. A dedicated control room will monitor transportation in real time and flag overloaded vehicles for inspection.

Weighbridges and GPS Devices Looped In

Weighbridges across the state are being integrated with MIMAS so that the actual load carried by a vehicle can be cross-checked against the quantities declared on the permit. Weighbridges serving limestone quarry leases are already linked to the portal; the department is now working to extend connectivity to sites producing minor minerals, including stone quarries.

In parallel, trucks carrying minerals have been given a deadline of 30 September to install GPS devices, adding a second layer of real-time journey tracking.

Industry Welcomes Move but Flags Gaps

Sand lorry operators have broadly welcomed the shift to online documentation. However, they have raised concerns about liability when contractors supply fraudulent transport papers. Operators want digital permits to carry confirmation from a government official so that drivers and vehicle owners can independently verify validity before accepting a load.

The operators have also sought tighter oversight at crusher units to ensure minerals leaving those sites comply with rules, and have urged the department to accelerate the integration of stone quarry weighbridges into the portal. They argue that digital permits will deliver limited value if shipments depart extraction sites without reliable weighing and verification.

Notably, operators allege that illegal stone quarries continue to function, and have proposed that the government directly operate quarries and supply manufactured sand and plastering sand to the market.

Ground Reality: Detentions and Fake Passes

The urgency behind the reforms is underscored by recent enforcement action. In Thiruvallur district, approximately 14 trucks carrying soil were detained over allegedly forged transit passes and permits; cases were registered against drivers and vehicle owners. The incident illustrates the scale of the fraud that the digital system is designed to prevent.

What Comes Next

Officials say the planned system's central test will be whether authorities can verify permits and loads consistently at every stage — from the quarry gate to the final destination. The QR-coded permit rollout forms part of a broader state initiative to digitise mining administration end-to-end, from extraction through transportation to royalty and GST collection. The pace at which weighbridge integration and GPS adoption are completed will largely determine whether the reform delivers on its anti-fraud promise.