Bengaluru: Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, H.D. Kumaraswamy, on Thursday, lambasted the Karnataka government over the poor condition of infrastructure, leading to the decision by an IT company to shift from the Outer Ring Road (ORR) area of Bengaluru.
Talking to X on Thursday, Kumaraswamy stated, “The proud city of Bengaluru, built by Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, has suffered a severe blow to its reputation. Tragically, Bengaluru is now gaining infamy as the ‘City of Potholes.’
“Industries are losing faith in Karnataka and migrating to neighbouring states. Those states have been waiting for this very moment, offering one concession after another to attract them. This government cannot even understand the gravity of the situation; its senses have gone numb.”
“To the industries, my only appeal is this: Do not leave Bengaluru. This city carries a great legacy and rich heritage. We will teach this government a lesson. We, the people of Karnataka, stand firmly with you. Remove the thought of leaving from your minds: Together, we will rebuild Bengaluru,” Kumaraswamy appealed.
“We will make Bengaluru great again,” he underlined.
“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar are responsible for this disgrace. Today, Bengaluru and Karnataka are trapped in the hands of the incompetent and the corrupt. At every step, there is a death trap of potholes; everywhere one looks, heaps of garbage. Is this what they call Greater Bengaluru? What is BBMP doing swallowing taxpayers’ money while doing nothing?”
He further attacked, “Industrialists are right in calling this an utter failure of governance. You don’t need a mirror to see a festering wound. For the first time in history, industries themselves have so strongly exposed the government’s failures.”
When it comes to levying taxes, this government shows rocket speed. But when it comes to filling potholes, it doesn’t even have the speed of a tortoise. It shows utter neglect towards development. State development has been sacrificed at the altar of election guarantees, while Greater Bengaluru is collapsing, Kumaraswamy stated.
“A government that claims it has no funds to fill potholes must answer: Where is the taxpayers’ money going? The people deserve an answer,” Kumaraswamy demanded.
Responding to the development of Co-Founder and CEO of BlackBuck company stating that they were planning to move out of Bengaluru’s ORR area over poor road infrastructure, the leaders of the IT industry on Wednesday raised concern and appealed to the Karnataka government to address the situation with proactive measures.
Padma Shree awardee Mohandas Pai and Biocon Founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw reacted on Wednesday to this development and in a social media post Pai tagged Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who is also Bengaluru Development Minister and expressed displeasure and appealed to him to find solutions to improve Bengaluru roads.
“Big, big failure of governance in Bengaluru. Please see, cos are moving out of ORR. Situation beyond hope. Please intervene,” said former Infosys CFO Pai.
Reposting Pai’s post, Mazumdar-Shaw said, “This is serious. Emergency measures needed to fix these issues.”
Rajesh Yabaji, Co-Founder and CEO of BlackBuck Company operating from the Bellandur ORR stretch in Bengaluru, expressing disappointment over the condition of the roads in the ORR stretch announced on Tuesday that his company will move out of the area. Yabaji, however, did not disclose where the office would be relocated.
Taking to X, Rajesh Yabaji stated, “ORR Bellandur has been our office and home for the last 9 years. But, now it has become very-very hard to continue here, We have decided to move out.”
Providing the reason for his decision, he stated, “Background – average commute for my colleagues shot up to 1.5 hours for one way. Roads full of potholes and dust, coupled with lowest intent to get them rectified. Don’t see any of this changing in next 5 years.”
In his post lambasting the government over the development on Wednesday, Pai also tagged the Commissioner of Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Minister for IT and BT Priyank Kharge and BJP MP P.C. Mohan.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, he stated, “On the stretch of ORR road, a 9.5 crore square feet campus has been built, and 8 lakh people work in companies located along this road. All the major global companies are situated here. Any government in the world would have taken measures to improve roads and provide adequate facilities for this important stretch. However, the state government is deliberately ignoring Bengaluru.”
“I had met the Bengaluru Development Minister one-and-a-half months ago and submitted a list of works to be done in Bengaluru, to which he had agreed. I emphasised that the ORR stretch is important as lakhs of people work there. They have also spoken to stakeholders regarding this matter. However, only minor works are being taken up, and no proper planning has been done,” Pai stated.
“The state government has a Rs 4 lakh crore budget, so why is this stretch of road still in poor condition? I appeal to Shivakumar to hold meetings with senior officials and obtain reports on a weekly basis. We need to give hope. Every day, people are spending hours stuck in traffic. Representatives from abroad are hesitant to come to Bengaluru and are instead moving to Noida and other places,” he stated.
Dy CM Shivakumar responding on the poor condition of roads in Bengaluru, stated, “Deadline is given to fill potholes and submit a report to me in writing. Commissioners are instructed to share the information on their morning rounds in the city.”
(IANS)
