Pune (Maharashtra) [India], July 1 (ANI): Ahead of the upcoming civic polls, hundreds of Shiv Sena party workers gathered outside the regional Pune Municipal Corporation office at Hadapsar area of Pune City to protest against the administration over various civic issues in the city on Monday.

The Shiv Sena demands the implementation of a development plan for the city to ease traffic congestion, widen roads, implement a hawkers policy, and improve the drainage system.

During the protest, they brought vegetables and fruits with them to offer to the PMC officials in protest.

Shiv Sena Pune city president Pramod Bhangire, who was leading the protest, said, 'We have been raising these issues for a long time, but the civic authorities are not hearing us. There are issues with traffic congestion in the city, poor road conditions, inadequate drainage systems, and problems with hawkers that are not being resolved. The government is providing funds, but the civic administration is not utilising these funds for the benefit of its citizens. There is a lot of corruption in the civic body; therefore, we have gathered here today to protest against officials of the civic administration to awaken them. We will continue this protest, and in the future, if our demands are not met, then we will intensify the protest for the citizens.'

He further said that there is no space on the streets to walk.

'There is corruption in the administration, drainage, despite raising tenders work is not progressing. Those who are in the lower ranks are not working properly,' he further added.

Earlier, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, was compelled to cut short his inspection visit to Maharashtra's Pune on June 24 following an advisory from the police administration citing growing traffic congestion in the city.

Gadkari was scheduled to review a proposed four-lane underground tunnel project designed to ease traffic in Pune's congested old city area, specifically Shaniwar Peth. The plan includes construction of two tunnels -- one stretching from Shaniwarwada to Swargate, and another from Sarasbaug to Shaniwarwada -- covering a total length of 2.5 kilometres. (ANI)