The Times of India News Service

MUZAFFARPUR: Bihar's revenue and land reforms minister Ramai Ram has threatened to go on fast unto death and stage demonstration in Delhi under the auspices of RJD and Ambedkar Sena in September next to press upon the Centre to provide reservation to the Scheduled Castes (SCs) in appointments in judiciary.

Talking to newsmen here on Thursday, Ram argued that when reservation is allowed in executive and legislative services of both the state and central governments, why reservation is not possible in the appointment of judges. The RJD has taken up the issue under its action plan of "Anjaam de ya pran de," he claimed and informed that a rath yatra would be taken out in the state from July 5 in this connection.

He demanded transparency in judicial appointments and stressed the need for creation of a separate all-India judicial service commission at the earliest.

Referring to the requirement of 40 more acres of land for the national litchi research centre in Mushahari, he clarified that the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) had demanded only 60 acres for the centre which was made available to it. Now that it needs 40 acres more, the state government would transfer that much land.

The revenue minister also assured to hand over the required plot of land for makhana research centre in Darbhanga or Madhubani. He claimed that the ICAR had requisitioned land in Purnia and the state government was not at fault in providing the land there instead of Darbhanga where makhana cultivation is popular.