Cuttack, June 29: The Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica)-funded integrated sanitation project has been embroiled in a fresh controversy following a demand for a comprehensive audit by the comptroller and auditor-general (CAG) into the project.

Odia Yuva Manch (OYM), a city-based social service organisation, made the demand in a memorandum to governor S.C. Jamir recently. OYM, on the basis of information assessed through RTI, has expressed apprehension of possible escalation in the project cost.

"There has been unnecessary delay in completion of the work, which is likely to result in an increase in the project cost apart from causing serious commutation problems for the general public," OYM president Rohan Kumar Mohanty said in his memorandum and sought CAG audit.

Earlier, public outrage over inconvenience caused by delay in restoration of roads dug up for the underground sewer channel network had forced the standing committee of Odisha Legislative Assembly to review the status of the Jica project on June 9.

The standing committee, headed by Bhadrak MLA Jugal Patnaik, had fixed a two-month deadline for restoration of a road after completion of sewerage project work for which the road was dug up.

The state-of-the-art project envisages a sewerage system with an underground gravity sewer line length of 375km, 29 pumping stations and three sewage treatment plants.

The project also envisages rejuvenation and reconstruction of 23km of the existing two main storm water drains in the city. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation stone of the project on October 1, 2012. It is being implemented by Odisha Water Supply and Sewerage Board under the Housing and Urban Development Board.

Queries with Jica officials revealed that around 19 per cent work had been completed under the sewerage project and around 21 per cent of drain reconstruction had been done. "While 71.5km of the sewer network is complete, 4.75km of main drains have been restored," a Jica official said on the condition of anonymity.

Information assessed by OYM through RTI revealed that the agreement was drawn up with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) company on January 30, 2013, for execution of the sewerage system within 36 months and for construction of the pumping stations agreement was inked with VA Tech Wabag Ltd in 2013 within a three-year deadline.

The agreement for construction and rehabilitation of drains was drawn up with Tantia-Voltas (joint venture) on March 20, 2013, and the project was supposed to end in 36 months. "The budget estimate of the Jica project for Cuttack city is Rs 1,950 crore," the information sheet provided by OWSSB under RTI, said.