Panaji, May 18 (IANS): Under fire for poor maintenance of roads, Goa PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral on Wednesday said that his Ministry was keen on purchasing a machine which can help fix potholes during the monsoon.

Over the last few weeks, the state's pothole-ridden roads are widely being mocked at on social media with political parties and people slamming the state government for the poor infrastructure.

Responding to a question whether Goa can be called a pothole-free state, the Minister said that Goa is pothole free. "Some places do have potholes but we are taking all mesures to repair them," Cabral told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

"I am trying to introduce a new machine, which will help fix potholes during monsoon. I promise people of Goa that by next monsoon there will be no potholes," Cabral said, adding that incessant rains create hurdles in repairing work.

He also said that IIT Madras is preparing a report on accidents taking place on Atal Setu Cable stayed bridge. "It was built by Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) not by PWD. Unless the 'defect liability period' ends, we can't take over it (for maintenance). Government is expecting a report from IIT Madras," he said.

Poor pothole-ridden roads were also one of the key issues ramped up by opposition parties in the run-up to the 2022 state Assembly polls.