Cuttack, Sept. 16: Members of a committee of the Assembly today expressed concern over slow progress of the integrated sanitation project being undertaken with assistance of the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) in the city.

The committee, led by Cuttack-Choudwar legislator Pravat Ranjan Biswal, reviewed the project’s progress and asked the officials to make sure that the 2016 deadline is met. The Rs 2,500-crore project includes a sewerage system with underground gravity sewers, sewage treatment plants and reconstruction of the two main storm water drains. So far, only Rs 91 crore of Rs 647 crore, earmarked for the sewerage project, has been utilised and Rs 141 crore of Rs 659 crore, allotted for the drainage project, has been put to use.

On the reasons behind the delay, an official of the Japanese agency said the waterlogging and heavy rain in the past couple of months had delayed the work. A district administration official said that every month a review meeting would be held to check the project’s progress. The construction would resume after Dussehra.

The House committee also reviewed infrastructure of the SCB Medical College and Hospital. The members expressed concern over lack of adequate mosquito nets at the special dengue ward.

Committee member Chiranjib Biswal said that though the overall facilities, including the infrastructure, at the premier state-run hospital had improved in the past three years, there were certain areas that required an urgent attention.

The issues regarding lack of medicine supply by HLL Lifecare, which has set up a store on the hospital premises, and delay in release of funds to poor patients under the Odisha State Treatment Fund were also discussed.

The committee also took notice of the lack of proper co-ordination between the hospital authorities and officials of the general electric department over problems of low voltage and lack of proper power back-up system.

An official of Cesu, however, said a 33/11KV sub-station was being set up for the medical college and that would solve the power problem.