Patna,(BiiharTimes): The Bihar government on Thursday conceded that it has fallen way short of target in construction of toilets.

Public Health Engineering Department minister Mahachandra Prasad Singh said in reply to JD(U) MLA, Izhar Ahmad’s question that against a target of constructing 12,12,716 toilets in 2013-14, only 1,61,646 toilets could be built in the state. He said a road map was being prepared to make the state free from open defecation by 2019.

However, the minister held low release of money under the MGNREGA scheme by the Centre responsible for this shortfall.

He said considering the importance of the subject, the department was preparing a road map to make Bihar free of open defecation by 2019, well before Centre’s target of 2022.

He said the road map would be put into practice from October 2 on the occasion of Gandhi Jyanti.

Incidentally, BJP, which was in power till last year June, blamed former chief minister Nitish Kumar, responsible for this shortfall as he was in-charge of the department when the target was fixed.