Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has set a deadline of November for contractors to fill potholes across Bengaluru, following mounting criticism over the city's deteriorating road conditions and civic infrastructure. The move comes just days after a viral social media post by a start-up CEO, who announced his company would relocate from the city's Outer Ring Road area due to unmanageable traffic and poor road quality.
Speaking on Wednesday, Mr Shivakumar, who also holds the portfolio of Bengaluru Development Minister, said the government was determined to address long-standing civic issues. "Contractors have been given a final deadline to fill the potholes within November to resolve the problem. Since a clean Bengaluru and smooth traffic are our goals, GBA will provide relief from potholes as soon as possible," he said in a post on 'X'.
Additionally, black topping of 182 roads, covering 349 km has been ordered at the cost of Rs 694 crore. Instructions have been issued to ensure that on roads where work is in progress, water does not stagnate and no potholes remain after asphalting.
The assurance follows his earlier announcement on September 14 that Bengaluru would receive a major push in road development, with Rs 1,100 crore allocated for repair and construction projects.
On the same day, Bengaluru Central City Corporation Commissioner Rajendra Cholan carried out inspections in the CV Raman Nagar area to highlight a range of issues, including damaged footpaths, pothole-ridden stretches, uncollected waste, and ineffective solid waste management.
Mr Cholan has asked for a ward-wise list of "black spots" -- areas prone to waste accumulation -- to be drawn up.
The government's latest commitment follows growing frustration from the business community. Rajesh Yabaji, CEO and co-founder of the logistics start-up BlackBuck, drew attention to the issue earlier this week when he announced plans to shift the company away from Bellandur, where it had been based for nine years.
"It's now very-very hard to continue here. We have decided to move out," Mr Yabaji wrote on X, citing long commutes and poor road maintenance as primary concerns. "Average commute for my colleagues shot up to 1.5+ hours (one way). Roads full of potholes and dust, coupled with the lowest intent to get them rectified. Didn't see any of this changing in the next five years," he added.
The post triggered widespread responses from Bengaluru residents, many of whom echoed similar frustrations about daily commuting challenges, traffic congestion, and civic neglect.
Mohandas Pai, chairman of Aarin Capital and former chief financial officer of Infosys, amplified the concerns by sharing news reports on Mr Yabaji's post. Tagging Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Mr Pai described the state of Bengaluru's civic infrastructure as a "big, big failure of governance". He urged political leaders and civic authorities to intervene urgently.
"Companies are moving out of ORR [Outer Ring Road]. Situation beyond hope. Please intervene," Mr Pai wrote, underlining industry fears about the city's long-term competitiveness as India's leading technology hub.
Bengaluru's rapid growth as an IT and start-up capital has put increasing pressure on its infrastructure. Once managed by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the city's civic administration is now under the newly formed Greater Bengaluru Authority, which has been tasked with handling large-scale urban issues.
