Opposition members protest against the government outside the Assembly on Tuesday. Picture by Deepak Kumar

Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Tuesday ruled out a ban on asbestos factories in the state.

While replying to a legislator’s question on its health hazards, he said: “The clearance for opening asbestos factories is taken by the Union ministry of environment. A public interest litigation petition for the ban has been rejected by the apex court. No state in the country has banned asbestos factories,” he said, responding to BJP MLA Sanjay Singh Tiger in the Assembly. Modi added that there were only two asbestos factories in Bihar compared to 22 in Gujarat and 12 in Bengal.

Sanjay said the asbestos factories cause pollution, leading to lung cancer and other diseases and that it has been banned in 55 countries.

In another query raised by JD(U) MLA Rajeshwar Raj, transport minister Brishen Patel said putting monograms on number plates was a violation of the Motor Vehicles Act.

The MLA had alleged that cops and government officials frequently violate the rule by putting their designation on number plates.