Mumbai, July 2 (IANS) Opposition leaders on Thursday lashed out at Maharashtra’s ruling Mahayuti after a 60-year-old died after falling into an open manhole amid rainfall in Mumbai, accusing the state government of evading accountability.

Reacting to the incident, Shiv Sena-UBT leader and former Mayor Kishori Pednekar said: “Some work was underway… it was necessary to put up a barricade or for someone to stand here; they didn’t do anything.”

“There is no control (of the government) over anything. It has been left to the contractor on how the work is being done,” she added.

Echoing a similar view, Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar said: “It was important to cover the manhole or at least put a barricade before the monsoon. A person has died…just suspension won’t help, FIR should be lodged against the officers concerned of the (Municipal) Corporation.”

“It’s a clear case of negligence. The manhole work was underway without tender, that too in the rainy season. We want to tell the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation), please do not play with the lives of people,” he told reporters.

Congress MLA Nana Patole accused the Maharashtra government of not taking responsibility.

“We have come to know about the corruption of the government through this incident. Earlier, a child was killed after a tree collapsed on a school bus. We had raised this issue in the Assembly, but the government is not ready to answer. And now it says that a tree had fallen on the bus; what can we do about it,” Patole told IANS.

“Today a manhole was left open, and a person died due to that. This government isn’t ready to take responsibility.”

An 11-year-old student lost his life on Tuesday after a massive tree collapsed on his school bus in Mumbai’s Chembur.

Meanwhile, NCP MP Sunil Tatkare urged the administration to take responsibility, saying: “Everyone should think and work together to ensure that such accidents do not happen again.”

Addressing reporters, BJP leader Amit Satam said: “An investigation is being carried out right now. Manholes must have covers on them. Work cannot be done with negligence; otherwise someone’s life could be lost. And the day before yesterday, an 11-year-old child also lost his life due to the collapse of a tree…our Mayor and officials are looking into it.”

On the other hand, Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora alleged that the BMC has been misused and its funds have been misappropriated for many decades.

“There had been no accountability in the BMC, but after the Assembly polls, the state government has taken many steps towards improving its functioning.”

–IANS

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