Lok Sabha adjourned over coal linkages to power plants in Bihar

NEW DELHI: JD(U) members from Bihar today forced adjournment of the Lok Sabha over the issue of shortage of coal for thermal power plants in the state.

As Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal rose to reply to a member's query during Question Hour, JD(U) members led by Dinesh Chandra Yadav trooped to the Well raising slogans over the "stepmotherly treatment" meted out to Bihar with regard to coal linkages for power plants.

They waved placards asking the Centre to stop "discrimination" with Bihar on coal linkages and immediate sanctioning of coal linkage for the Barauni power plant.

The JD(U) members Meena Singh, Ranjan Prasad Yadav and Arjun Roy among others raised slogans in the Well as Jaiswal answered supplementaries on questions on 'new formula for coal price'.

As sloganeering continued even after the next question on airlines flouting safety norms was taken up, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar adjourned the House till noon.

At the start of the Question Hour, some AIADMK members had come to the Well seeking to raise the issue of ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka but returned to their seats after the Speaker told them that the government would make a statement on the issue.