New Delhi: Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who is part of the ruling National Democratic Alliance coalition, has asked who is responsible behind the collapse of buildings and bridges whole India "becomes the third largest economy."

Indian Express reports that Pawar, of the breakaway faction of the Nationalist Congress Party, was speaking at the inauguration of the Professional Structural Engineers Association in Pune, when he said, “We have said that we will be the third (largest) economy, and that is true. But what about our buildings and bridges collapsing while we become the third largest economy? Who is responsible for that?"

A day before Pawar made these comments, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that India is "rapidly moving towards becoming the world's third-largest economy". Many have challenged the notion of measuring the size of an economy through Gross Domestic Product when gigantic inequalities persist.

Pawar's line comes amidst an astounding number of reports on road cave-ins and bridge collapses this monsoon. It also marks rare criticism of the ruling establishment by one of its members.

On July 10, a truck fell into a massive crater which had developed on a Gurugram road after rains. On the same day, in Rajasthan's Jhunjhunu district, the road connecting Baghwali-Jahaj to NH 52 was washed away by the Katli river.

On July 9, a section of the bridge over the Mahisagar river in Vadodara district collapsed, killing 20 people.

A Rs 250-crore flyover inaugurated in Mumbai on July 4 developed potholes on which bikers skidded.

On June 15, an iron bridge over the Indrayani river in Mahrashtra's Pune collapsed, killing four people.

In Odisha's Sambalpur district, a Rs 60-crore flyover collapsed less than two months after being opened.

Pawar said that that public works department receives notices from British companies, letting them know that certain bridges have completed 100 years and should not be operated for vehicular use anymore.

“We do not see this quality of construction anymore. New construction techniques have come up and they should definitely be used… buildings should be made stronger. PWD officials tell us often, ‘this building is 40 years old, let’s demolish it and make a new one’. How do they make these statements so casually?," he asked.

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