As Punekars grapple with pothole-filled roads, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Pune Unit organised a band baja protest in front of the Pune Municipal Corporation to draw attention to the issue. The protest highlighted growing frustration over the city’s deteriorating road conditions and the perceived failure of municipal authorities to manage road maintenance effectively.
During the protest, Executive President Ajit Phatke Patil stated, "The municipal authorities have lost control over the contractors responsible for road construction. The poor quality of roads is due to the use of substandard materials by these contractors. Potholes appear even after light rains, and municipal officials seem to turn a blind eye to this issue. Despite regulations requiring roads to remain pothole-free until the end of the default liability period, these conditions are not enforced. Corruption and collusion between officials and contractors lead to the neglect of proper road maintenance."
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Kumbhar slams BJP
State Vice President Vijay Kumbhar remarked, "Muralidhar Mohol, MP of Pune city and Minister of State at the Center, recently met with municipal officials and instructed them to address the pothole issue. There is a nexus between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and this has led to inaction on road repairs, as repairs are only carried out if directed by the BJP. With no corporator present in the municipal corporation, there is insufficient pressure on administrative officers, causing continued suffering for citizens. We publicly condemn this negligence and have warned that if the potholes are not adequately repaired within the next four days, we will bottle the water collected from these potholes and present it to the municipal officials."
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City President Dhananjay Benkar criticised the authorities, stating, "Despite spending crores of rupees on road infrastructure, the quality remains subpar. This poor quality leads to accidents and traffic jams that claim lives and cause immense suffering. The roads deteriorate quickly after repairs, indicating a lack of effective oversight."
Mukund Kirdat, spokesperson for AAP, criticised the lack of effective action, stating, "Mohol has demanded that potholes be repaired within 24 hours. Yet, despite investing ₹500 crore on roads for the G20 event and ₹50 crore annually, the issue persists. The failure to enforce penalties during the liability period is a significant problem."
Amit Mhaske, Youth President of AAP Pune City, pointed out that the authorities' continued inaction is causing severe inconvenience for citizens, with traffic congestion worsening due to the numerous potholes.
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