India, Aug. 17 -- Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday complained that he is blamed for road problems even when they are built by state governments.

Speaking at the Festival of Thinkers lecture series in Pune on Monday, Gadkari said that 27 years ago, he built the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and claimed it has not developed any potholes to date. But, he said, that has never been reported.

"I built the Mumbai-Pune Expressway 27 years ago. To this day, not a single pothole has appeared on it; the road remains in excellent condition, yet news about this never gets published," Gadkari told the gathering.

The union minister lamented that he gets blamed even when a road built by a state government caves in.

"During ...