BHUBANESWAR:The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has pulled up the State Government for the inordinate delay in execution of the drinking water supply project at Puri.
The project, scheduled to be completed by December 2011, had remained incomplete till December 2014 due to delay in acquisition of private land, alienation of Government land and revision of drawing and design.
“Vital components of the project, including development of water source, construction of intake well, water treatment plant and raw water rising main, had not been started because of deficiencies in the execution of the project,” the CAG report on general and social sector tabled in the Assembly on Tuesday said.
The Centre had sanctioned the project for augmentation of drinking water supply system at Puri under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) at an estimated cost of Rs 166.90 crore with Central share of 80 per cent in July 2008. The State Government was to bear the cost of the land amounting to Rs 17.75 crore.
The State Government tagged the water supply to Samuka beach project and accorded administrative approval for total project cost of Rs 244 crore in July 2009.
The project was split into 39 packages (23 packages worth Rs 90.50 crore of PHED and 16 packages of Rs 139.78 crore of Water Resources Department) and work on 21 packages had not started by October 2014 as clear site was not available for development of water source. As a result, the State could not avail the Central assistance of Rs 61.73 crore for the project. Though Rs 158.16 crore was utilised on the project till September last year, the expenditure remained unfruitful, the audit report stated.
The State Government awarded the contract for construction of pond embankment and other structures to Odisha Construction Corporation (OCC) without inviting tender at an escalated price of Rs 91.60 crore as against estimated cost of Rs 76.79 crore.
The State Government explained to the CAG that delay in alienation of Government land was due to illegal occupation by locals. The Government, however, assured to take steps for completion of the project by March 2015.
Snail’s Pace