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Bengaluru, Oct 14 (IANS) Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw’s viral post on poor road infrastructure and waste management in Bengaluru has once again sparked a debate over the Congress-led government’s handling of the IT city’s infrastructure.
Shaw wrote on social media platform
He also tagged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar and IT and BT Minister Priyank Kharge in his post. The post, uploaded on Monday night, has not yet received any response from the state government or concerned authorities.
Meanwhile, Shaw’s comments have sparked debate over the government’s indifference towards ensuring proper road infrastructure and effective waste management in Bengaluru. Revathi Ashok, honorary CEO and managing trustee of Bengaluru Political Action Committee (B-PAC), said it is a sad reality when even the government starts crying about the garbage mafia. “Where does that leave us citizens?” he asked.
Another user, ‘The Hermit’, commented on
Earlier, Padma Shri awardee and former Infosys CFO and board member TV Mohandas Pai had also raised concerns while addressing Deputy Chief Minister Shivkumar and Minister Priyank Kharge. He emphasized that the poor state of Bengaluru’s road infrastructure is not a by-product of development, but a result of corruption and poor governance. He urged the newly formed Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) to take action, saying, “Can’t we make roads without potholes? This is not the job of AI; this has been done for over 200 years.”
Pai tagged a post by writer Naresh, who narrated his journey from tech hub Bellandur to Bengaluru International Airport. Naresh wrote, “Just traveled from Bellandur to Bengaluru airport. It took 1 hour 45 minutes! Crazy. Also, all the roads are dug up and full of potholes. Sorry to say, but I think Bengaluru has the worst roads in India. This is not sustainable. It will create many health problems for travelers in the next 10 years.”
This is the second time industry leaders have raised the issue of poor road infrastructure. Both Mohandas Pai and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw had earlier criticized the state government when a reputed IT company announced plans to move out of Bengaluru, citing bad roads.
Responding at that time, Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar had clearly said that IT companies cannot “blackmail” the government and are free to move if they wish. The company later clarified that it was only planning to move to another location within Bengaluru city, although this statement had already sparked controversy.
Following this, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar directed officials to expedite pothole filling and road repair works, even inspecting the spot themselves. However, the repaired potholes have reopened after heavy rains.
Minister Priyank Kharge’s recent statement that Bengaluru’s traffic problem is a reflection of development has also sparked debate. It remains to be seen how the government will respond to industry leaders this time.
–IANS
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