Cuttack, May 10: The district administration has asked officials of the Japan International Co-operation Agency to complete restoration of major roads in the city before rains.

Official sources said the agency officials had been directed to complete the ongoing and pending construction, including laying of sewer channels and other drainage works, by June 15.

However, uncertainty looms large over the implementation of such order as already the integrated sanitation project is moving at a snail's pace. "Keeping in view problems of the commuters, as well as the upcoming festive season, we have asked the agency officials to restore the roads that have been dug up at several places," said Cuttack collector Nirmal Chandra Mishra.

An agency official said the process of road-levelling in a few places had started and all roads that had been dug up for laying sewer lines would be restored within the stipulated timeframe fixed by the district administration.

Officials of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation, on the other hand, have expressed their inability to complete the pending road repair within the stipulated period. "It will be too early to carry out such a massive road restoration, and we have clearly informed the district administration to undertake road repair in August just after the monsoon season," said municipal commissioner Gyana Das.

Das said the civic body had earmarked a special budgetary allocation of Rs 1.5 crore for restoration of the roads and drainage systems, and the work was expected to be over before Dussehra in October. The road restoration assumes significance keeping in view the large turnout of devotees from several parts of the state to witness Dussehra in the city.

A civic body official said that at present the focus was on making the 660km network of the drainage channels ready for the monsoon. Already the process of silt removal from the channels has started and will be over by June first week. Moreover, drain repair is also being carried out in all the 59 wards in the corporation limits.

The road restoration has become crucial as commuters are now having a harrowing time due to the bad road conditions in various parts of the city.

"Though the work for laying sewer channels is over in several wards, the agency officials are not taking concrete measures for immediate restoration of the roads particularly on the stretch from Seminary Chhak to Dargha Bazar," said Romesh Das, a commuter.

Das alleged that particular 1.5km stretch was unsafe for commuters as it was yet to be restored even though the construction had been over two months ago.