Patna, Nov 26 (Reporter) Bihar government is all set to declare Bettiah Raj property of more than 15,000 acres of land and assets as state property, as a bill to this effect was passed in Assembly on Tuesday. Bihar Revenue and Land Reforms Minister Dilip Jaiswal introduced the bill in the house for declaring Bettiah Raj property as state property, which was passed in absence of opposition who staged walkout, protesting against alleged failure of the government to ensure constitutional safeguard to reservation limit increased to 65 percent for EBCs, OBCs, SCs and STs besides continuation of 10 percent reservation for economically weaker section among upper castes. The bill was aimed at declaring vast land of more than 15,000 acres of land as state property, in larger interest of the people, he added. "A total of 15,215 acres of land owned by Bettiah Raj in Bihar was handed over to Court of Wards by erstwhile British government while 143 acres of land of Bettiah Raj in Uttar Pradesh was also handed over to Court of Wards as last King of Bettiah estate Harendra Kishore Singh died issueless and there was no successor of the property ", Jaiswal said in House and added it was noticed by Bihar that land was being encroached by land mafias and others having no right over the same. He said that a large number of medical colleges, engineering colleges, hospitals and universities besides other institutions would be opened on the land, to be declared as state property. Such steps would serve the people's interests at large, he stressed. The Minister said that those presently living on land of Bettiah Raj would be given opportunity to challenge in court of law which would be disposed off within stipulated time frame. So far as the question of 143 acres of land of Bettiah Raj in Uttar Pradesh is concerned, Bihar government would coordinate with Uttar Pradesh government in this connection, once the bill took the shape of law after approval from both Houses of state legislature. Apart from land, other assets of Bettiah Raj would also be declared as state property, he stated. In Bihar, land of Bettiah Raj is spread over mostly in East Champaran and West Champaran while some plots were also based in Saran, Siwan, Gopalganj and Patna districts. In Uttar Pradesh, land of Bettiah Raj is spread over in Allahabad, Basti, Faizabad, Gorakhpur, Maharajganj, Kushinagar, Mirzapur and Varanasi. Bihar Goods and Services Tax (second amendment) bill was also passed in house by voice vote. After discharging scheduled business, the house was adjourned till Wednesday...////...