Bhubaneswar, Sept. 18: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has come out with facts about the works department's lethargy that has led to increase in the project costs, at a time when the department is facing flak over the Bomikhal bridge collapse at Saheed Nagar for poor job.
The CAG report extensively deals with how Nabard's guidelines on utilisation of various funds are being violated.
It cited the example of the high-level bridge construction over the Kathajodi river from Cuttack to Bhubaneswar. In March 2011, the work had been awarded to a contractor for Rs 94.49 crore for completion within 36 months.
The work was in progress with revised cost of Rs 107.92 crore as in July 2015. And finally, the bridge was inaugurated in August this year.
About the cost escalation, the department took the plea that it had to widen the bridge from two to three-lane carriageway over the river keeping in view the number of light vehicles passing from the Trisulia side of Cuttack city.
However, the CAG said construction of three-lane bridge for four-lane roads was not in accordance with the Indian Road Congress specifications, which prescribe construction of two-lane carriageway in such cases.
The CAG has also criticised the works department for poor planning in execution of road works and that of projects in a slow manner.
The department had taken up 37 road projects at a cost of Rs 459.83 crore during 2011-16.
'It was observed from statistical data of roads that the total length of these 37 roads was 1,021km. Instead of developing the entire 1,021km, the department had taken up works to improve only 492km in a piecemeal manner,' said the report.
The CAG also dealt with how the works department had commenced various projects without proper survey, land and design.
Even the department had taken nearly two decades in finalising the design of a bridge and it resulted in escalation of cost and deprivation of the benefit of direct communication to the people.
'The work for construction of a bridge over the Mantei river on Digachhia Bansada road under Nabard assistance had been awarded for Rs 19.97 crore in February 2014 for completion by February 2016. Since the department had failed to finalise the design of the bridge, work was discontinued (March 2015) after spending Rs 5.39 crore,' the audit report said.
In anther case, the inadequate and inaccuracy survey and investigation at the planning stage delayed the completion of the bridge for over 39 months.