Chennai, August 10:The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to respond to a petition challenging its decision to impose a three-month ban on transporting minerals from the State to other States. Based on the amended rules, the government issued an order prohibiting the transport of rough stone and jelly to other States for a period of three months, except to Karaikal and Puducherry. Challenging this order, petitioner Madhu Premanathan moved the High Court seeking to quash the government order and declare the amended rules invalid. When the matter came up for hearing before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan, the petitioner’s counsel argued that the amended rules require the assent of the President. After hearing the submissions, the Bench directed the Tamil Nadu government to file its response within two weeks and adjourned the case for further hearing.