Bhubaneswar: The works department on Wednesday removed Panda Infraproject Ltd from the construction of Jatni flyover, attributing poor quality of work and delay in project execution as the reasons behind the removal.

Works secretary Nalinikanta Pradhan said there were allegations of substandard work against the firm. "Besides, the project has been running late. Around 50 per cent of the work has been completed so far. We have served notice to the company before disengaging it. An estimation of the remaining works will be conducted in few days, and subsequently, tender will be floated," said Pradhan.

The private contractor was in the eye of the storm over the flyover construction after local residents had alleged poor quality of work. Following allegations of irregularities in the under-construction flyover, a 10-member team of the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela had in October last conducted an inspection. In May, the state government also initiated a vigilance probe into the under-construction flyover.

In May, the firm was also debarred from carrying out further construction of the Bomikhal flyover in the wake of death of a construction labourer after being crushed under iron rods supporting the bridge that collapsed on May 3. In September last year, a 10-metre-long portion of the T-shaped 1.6-km-long under-construction flyover at Bomikhal had caved in, killing one Satyabrata Patnaik and injuring 17 others, including Patnaik's daughter Sheetal.

"The tendering process will be expedited as we want to complete the project at the earliest possible. Besides, we are also fully co-operating with the vigilance probe," said an official.