No ban on asbestos factories in Bihar: Government

PATNA: The state government has not imposed ban on asbestos factories in Bihar, but such factories are to be set up only with Centre's clearance, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said today.

Replying to a short notice question by the BJP MLA Sanjay Singh Tiger in the state Assembly, he said the state government has not imposed ban on setting up asbestos factories nor was there any justification in doing so in the absence of any direction from the Centre.

At the same time, Modi, who holds the Forest and Environment portfolio, admitted that some Western countries have indeed imposed ban on asbestos factories in view of pollution and other environmental hazards caused by ashes flying out from such units.

He said asbestos factories were running in states like Gujarat and West Bengal and there was no ban by even the Supreme Court which had few years back rejected a petition seeking such restriction on asbestos units.

On fear of environmental pollution caused by asbestos factories, Modi said the State Pollution Control Board was the appropriate authority to look into the matter.