All Bihar districts to be made ODF by 2019, says Nitish Kumar

The government has also set a target of making 4,555 gram panchayats open defecation free by the end of the current financial year 2017-18.

During the review meeting of 'Lohia Swachh Bihar Abhiyan', Chief Minister Nitish Kumar asked officials to speed up the process of achieving the target.

Nitish held a high level meeting late last evening to review the progress of work of Rural Development Department and Panchayati Raj Department.

While reviewing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), Kumar said the water conservation project, which was implemented in Nalanda district, should be considered as a "role-model" and it should be implemented in all the districts of the state especially in south Bihar.

He also asked officials to take up the matter of afforestation in order to increase the forest coverage area in the state.

During the review of Jeevika, the CM stressed upon the need to speed up the process of creation of 10 lakh Self Help Groups (SHGs) in the state by the end of December 2018, the release said.