The monsoons this year have caused significant damage to the roads in Bengaluru. Many stretches have developed large potholes. In addition to posing safety challenges, these have also made the commuting time shoot up. Recently, the city's poor road conditions made headlines after a startup CEO announced his intentions of ‘moving out of Bellandur ‘ due to traffic and poor road conditions. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has now made it clear that threatening or blackmailing the government won’t work for corporates. He also assured citizens that the government is already working towards finding a solution for the civic crisis.
In the video shared by TOI, Shivakumar is seen responding to the logistics firm CEO’s social media post. He says ‘threatening or blackmailing us (the government) is up to them (corporates). We are not bothered about it. We are doing our job. ’ He made it clear that the government is determined to address this civic issue the right way.
The post shared by a tech startup CEO went viral, in which he mentioned how the poor road conditions of the place are affecting the company. He said the company has decided to relocate from the Outer Ring Road area in Bellandur (which has been its base for the past nine years), due to its traffic and poor road conditions.
Soon, higher authorities intervened and measures were taken to fix the potholes. A November deadline was issued to the contractors to finish the work.
Shivakumar has been holding multiple meetings with different parties to get this solved. The government apparently wants a permanent solution, not a temporary fit. It is now working towards achieving the same. Bengaluru, reportedly spent Rs 12.2 crores to fill long stretches of potholes in the year 2024-25 alone.
Another video shared by NDTV shows his response to the CEO. Responding to the CEO’s post, the DyCM says ‘I wish him good luck. If he isn’t satisfied with the manpower, talent, and facilities, I can’t stop him. But no one can threaten the government. We are there to serve the people of this state. They may be considering the relocation because of some business problems. Blackmailing a government will not work for them. Take this on record, no one will leave Bengaluru.” He also added that if the company relocates, he has no intention to call them back to the city.
Shivakumar is very confident about what Bengaluru offers and the way it is evolving. ‘No one can match Bengaluru and the infrastructure we provide. Before they came to Bengaluru, they saw what it offers and then made a decision,’ he said.
Talking more about the infrastructure projects and his vision for cleaner, smoother roads, Shivakumar also mentioned that court orders, in some cases, block infrastructure plans...
As discussions around the topic continue to boil, the Black Buck CEO has come up with a new X post that confirms that the company will not relocate. “Bengaluru is home for us and as always, we continue to remain committed to relay our needs and issues to the relevant government authorities and seek support to get them resolved," he said in the latest post.
Five corporations have now been formed to meet the needs of a ‘growing Bengaluru’. Bigger projects will be carried out by the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA). Many areas in which Bangalore techies live, now fall under Panchayats. This is apparently complicating civic response. Efforts are now underway to bring them under the GBA.