Muzaffarpur: The district administration declared Jarang, a thickly populated panchayat in Gaighat block, along the Muzaffarpur-Darbhanga NH-57, an open defecation-free (ODF) village a day before chief minister Nitish Kumar's visit. Nitish is scheduled to visit Jarang for two days beginning Thursday during his ongoing "Vikas ke Samiksha Yatra".

The chief minister will review implementation of development schemes and progress made in the state government's seven resolves with the top administrative and police brass on the afternoon of December 14.

District magistrate Dharmendra Kumar said the authorities are burning the midnight oil to declare 180 village panchayats ODF by March. He said Nitish will review government schemes on Thursday and after spending the night at the Circuit House head for Jarang High School in Gaighat where he will lay the foundation stone for several government schemes on Friday.

Nitish and senior bureaucrats will move into a ward number 8 of Jarang for on-the- spot inspection of ongoing schemes.

He will also hold brief interactions with residents of Jarang village to assess the pace of execution of the development schemes, including of his seven resolves.

The administration has provided safe drinking water facility to nearly 250 families in Jarang under the Jal-Nal Yojana.

Thereafter, Nitish will address a public gathering at Jarang High School before leaving for his next destination - Madhubani.

Liquor haul

Zonal inspector-general of police (IG) Sunil Kumar said the police in North Bihar have seized banned foreign liquor valued at Rs 70 crore and expressed the need to strengthen the police force.

District magistrates and superintendents of police have tightened the noose around liquor smugglers by initiating steps to attach their properties. Moreover measures are being taken to auction 140 trucks seized with the banned consignments. DMs and SPs are being told to accelerate trial against liquor smugglers.