Odisha AG starts audit of OOA's accounts

Cuttack: A six-member team headed by a deputy accountant general from the office of the Accountants General (AG) Odisha began auditing the accounts of Odisha Olympic Association (OOA) here today.

The Supreme Court had last week asked the AG to audit the accounts of the sporting body and submit a report to this effect within six weeks.

The apex court order came in response to an SLP filed by the OOA challenging an order of the Orissa High Court which had earlier nullified the claim of the association to an impugned property adjacent to Barabati Stadium.

"The audit team arrived here in the afternoon and handed over a letter to me seeking all cooperation from our side for the purpose," said the OOA secretary Asirbad Behera adding that the accounts of the association are audited regularly by authenticated persons every year.

Since the AG is supposed to submit its report within a stipulated time, the team would be coming here on a daily basis to vet the accounts, sources said adding that the team also questioned Behera and met the district authorities in the day.

An apex court formed committee headed by the Cuttack collector has already taken over the management of the controversial property which includes a sprawling marriage mandap and a market complex with 23 shops.