Subheadline: Councillors demanded action against officials after a schoolgirl’s death, citing unfinished roadwork, exposed utility poles and repeated fatalities.
Pune | September 11, 2026
The death of a schoolgirl in a crash on Katraj-Kondhwa Road triggered a protest by councillors at the Pune Municipal Corporation’s general body meeting, with members demanding action against officials responsible for road safety and delayed construction work.
Councillors from the Congress, the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party, the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) raised the issue as soon as the meeting began. They called for justice for the girl and sought accountability from the civic administration.
Members demanded to know whether action would be taken against officials allegedly responsible for conditions on the road. The confrontation followed the death of the schoolgirl in an accident reported to have occurred two days before the meeting.
Councillor Arvind Shinde alleged that 21 people had lost their lives on the Katraj-Kondhwa Road so far. He also said electricity distribution poles had still not been removed from the road, and alleged that the unresolved obstruction contributed to the latest fatal accident. The claims were made during the general body meeting and were reported by Loksatta.
The road project also came under scrutiny over its cost and completion status. Shinde questioned why the road had not been completed despite an expenditure of Rs 150 crore. He also referred to an allocation of Rs 60 crore for traffic wardens, asking why wardens were not present at junctions along the route.
“After spending Rs 150 crore, the road is still not complete. Even after providing Rs 60 crore, traffic wardens are not present at the junctions. When will the administration take responsibility?” Shinde asked, according to the report.
The councillors’ protest placed three operational issues before the civic body: the pace of road construction, the removal of utility infrastructure and the availability of traffic personnel at busy intersections. The meeting did not resolve those questions in the information available in the report.
The Katraj-Kondhwa corridor has faced sustained concern over safety as construction and utility-related work continue. The latest incident has now prompted demands for accountability from the officials and agencies involved. Councillors said the administration must explain the status of the unfinished works and the measures being taken at accident-prone locations.
