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Pune: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Pune has alleged that the 100 km of roads built by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) in 2023 have been filled with potholes. AAP alleged on Thursday that these roads were supposed to have a five-year defect liability period. However, before this period ended, various departments, including the PMC's water supply and drainage departments, other state and central government agencies, and private cable companies, dug up the roads for their work.
AAP's Protest In Last Year | Sourced
According to AAP, Aniruddha Pavaskar, head of the PMC's Road Department, has now admitted that "the PMC had done road work under a package in 2023. But those roads were dug up. Therefore, not a single road's defect liability period remains." AAP's state spokesperson Mukund Kirdat said, "Exactly one year ago, AAP had raised questions about the road repair liability, and President Droupadi Murmu had also expressed her displeasure about the potholes in Pune. The AAP had staged a protest in the PMC's Road Department Office over this issue. At that time, the PMC gave vague and misleading answers about the road repair liability and promised to take action."
"Now, after a full year, the head of the road department is announcing that the contractors are no longer liable for even a single road. Due to the intentional negligence of this administration, the PMC will have to use public funds to carry out repairs on these cement roads," said Mukund Kirdat.
He added, "At that time, former mayor Murlidhar Mohol and others running the 'triple-engine government' claimed that the opposition was defaming Pune. This is a convenient and long-standing mess created through the collusion of administrators, contractors, and the government."
AAP further alleged that now, roads for the 'Pune Grand Challenge 2026' cycling event are to be constructed at a cost of ₹145 crore. The PMC has set a ten-year defect liability period for these road projects. However, there are concerns that if the PMC grants permission to dig up these roads for other work, the contractors will be released from their responsibility, and the PMC will be burdened with the cost of repairs. AAP has demanded that if this happens, officials who fail to maintain coordination between departments or who leave loopholes in contracts with contractors should be held accountable for the irregularities.
