Opposition walksout over displaced Panem coal mines

Ranchi, Apr 2 (UNI) Opposition NDA members today staged a walkout in the Jharkhand Assembly, demanding a House Committee inquiry into the matter of providing compensation and jobs to displaced workers of the Panem coal mines in the Pakur district.

Raising the issue, JMM MLA Shushila Hansda said Panem coal mines displaced were living a ''miserable life'' as they were neither given compensation nor provided with jobs.

Ms Hansda said government was not concerned about the welfare of displaced.

Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Sudhir Mahto said compensation was given to the displaced and the government had also provided jobs to them, adding about 67 hand pumps were also installed under the social welfare plan in the area.

Challenging the governement, the JMM MLA demanded an inquiry into the matter from a house committee.

The Opposition members demanding an inquiry from an Assembly Committee of the matter sat on a dharna and walked out from the House.

Intervening in the matter, Speaker Alamgir Alam said that a question and call attention committee would inquire the into matter into sixty days.

The House also gave its assent to the Jharkhand fiscal accountability and Budget Management Bill, 2007.

UNI