Pune: Shankar Mandekar, NCP’s Bhor MLA, on Tuesday sparked a controversy when he said that when there are roads, accidents do occur after he visited the accident spot on Nande-Mhalunge Road where a 10-year-old boy died the previous day.“It was an unfortunate incident, but when there are roads, accidents do happen. In the end, a case is registered against the owner of the bigger vehicle involved in the accident,” the Bhor MLA said during a media interaction on Tuesday afternoon.When Mandekar was asked about the delay in improving the road condition, he said, “I have been raising the issue in the assembly, but beyond that, what can I do? Even though I am a member of the party which is in the govt, the decision is taken by the ministers concerned.”The Opposition blamed state govt’s inaction for the pothole-ridden roads that resulted in the loss of life in Pune’s Mahalunge area. Residents, on the other hand, also expressed anger over the poor road conditions and said that despite repeated complaints, the road was not repaired by the authorities.Supriya Sule, NCP (SP) working president, said, “The chief minister chaired a meeting on July 10, 2025, to address the issues of Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park in Hinjewadi and Maan-Mahalunge. It was decided in that meeting that a single-point authority would resolve all the issues. However, it has been more than a year, and no progress has been made after that meeting. Now, when a 10-year-old boy died in front of his father’s eyes, who should be held responsible for it?”Adding to it, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray, who visited the area on Tuesday, said, “The residents had held a protest at the same location demanding that the administration repair the roads, but the administration did not respond. Now, after the death of the boy, govt would give compensation of Rs 4-5 lakh to the family. That does not solve the issue.”The city unit of the Congress has demanded that Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) complete all pothole repairs before the Ganapati festival.The party submitted a memorandum to the municipal commissioner’s office regarding the repairs. Congress leaders said a large number of visitors were expected in the city during the festival. The party also demanded that the administration conduct a probe into poor-quality of road works and pothole repairs.
