Bengaluru has best weather & talent, but fails on infra: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

Bengaluru: Billionaire entrepreneur Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw on Thursday urged the state government and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to fix issues related to garbage and broken roads.

She expressed hope that the newly formed Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) could make a difference, but stressed the need for collective will.

Taking to X, she posted: “Namma Bengaluru has the best talent and the best weather but the worst infrastructure — if we fix garbage, debris, and roads, we can be among the best cities in the world. GBA has a great opportunity to do this. Let’s use collective will to do this.”

Responding, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said the government is working with purpose and urgency.

"With the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), we now have a unique opportunity to transform this vision into reality, and we will deliver. To the citizens, government, businesses, and civil society: this is the time to come together and shape a new chapter for Namma Bengaluru. The future is ours to build — together,” he said.

'Empty promises'

Netizens, however, dismissed the assurances as “empty promises”.

Chandrashekar M posted waterlogged images of Sarjapur Road, saying it floods within two hours of rain despite repeated visits by officials. “This has persisted for three years despite visits from the BBMP Joint Commissioner (JC) and even the Deputy CM. How are employees and residents expected to wade through two feet of water?” he asked.

Another user wrote: “We only have a wishlist for Bengaluru. The government (irrespective of which party) and the bureaucracy don’t have one. One look at the new Tumakuru bus terminus and new KSRTC buses proves that this state is in decline…”

Raghavendra Rao pointed out that the government collects advance fees for solid waste services along with property tax, claiming over Rs 800 crore has been raised this year. “They don’t pay these workers on time, while trash piles up everywhere, creating unhygienic conditions,” he said.