LS adjourned over shortage of coal to power plants in Bihar

Janata Dal - United members from Bihar on Wednesday forced the 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 "step-motherly treatment" meted out to Bihar with regard to coal linkages for power plants.

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

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 All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 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.