Telugu Desam Party leader and Andhra Pradesh HRD Minister Nara Lokesh (File).
- A Bengaluru CEO criticised Bengaluru's roads and traffic and said he might have to relocate his business
- In response, Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar admitted issues but said no one could 'blackmail' the government
- Andhra minister Nara Lokesh responded by invited Yabaji to relocate his company to Vizag
A Bengaluru CEO's lamentation about potholes and traffic jams on the metropolis' roads has escalated into a political spat between the Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh governments, with the latter trying to persuade BlackBuck chief and co-founder Rajesh Yabaji to relocate to Vizag.
On Thursday night Andhra Human Resources Minister Nara Lokesh followed his relocation appeal with a jibe at Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's 'can't blackmail governments', telling the Congress leader to not 'dismiss people's grievances'.
"Here's what sets Andhra Pradesh apart from others - we don't dismiss our people's genuine grievances as 'blackmail'' We treat them with the dignity and seriousness they deserve."
Nara Lokesh's response followed Mr Shivakumar telling NDTV, "... he (Mr Yabaji) cannot threaten the government. Blackmailing a government won't work. We have to serve the people of the state. Take this on record, no one will leave Bengaluru."
In a brief chat with NDTV - inside a car travelling across the city's pothole-laden roads - the Deputy Chief Minister acknowledged Bengaluru's roads, and other aspects of public infrastructure, need work.
READ | "Can't Blackmail Government": DKS On CEO's Bengaluru Roads Post
Mr Shivakumar, or DKS as he is called, "Bengaluru has become very big... so more needs to be done. To meet these demands, we formed five corporations."
He also said many of the IT parks in the city popularly known as 'India's Silicon Valley', a hub for the Information Technology industry, remain under the jurisdiction of panchayats, which makes upkeep of infrastructure complicated. The idea, he said, is to bring them under a newly-formed Greater Bengaluru Authority that would expedite grant of funds for infrastructure works.
Earlier, key voices in India, Inc. had raised concerns about the state of Bengaluru's roads.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, executive chairperson of Biocon, called for "emergency measures" to address the issues, and Mohandas Pai, chairman of Aarin Capital and Manipal Global Education, termed the Bengaluru situation a "big, big failure of governance".
In a post on X Mr Yabaji joined that chorus, saying he had set up his company in the Bellandur area, on the Outer Ring Road, "but it's now very-very hard to continue here. We have decided to move out."
He cited the average commute - over 90 minutes (one-way) for some people and "roads full of potholes and dust, coupled with the lowest intent to get them rectified".
The post had prompted a response from Nara Lokesh, who offered Vizag as an option.
READ | Andhra Minister Makes Offer To CEO Over Bengaluru Potholes
"Hi Rajesh, can I interest you in relocating your company to Vizag? We are rated among top 5 cleanest cities in India, are building best-in-class infra, and have been rated the safest city for women. Please send me a DM," the Andhra minister said in a post on X.
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