Bengaluru potholes draw ire from top industrialists, spark debate on city’s crumbling infrastructure
Bengaluru: The city’s perennial pothole problem has again come under fire — this time from prominent industrialists Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and T.V. Mohandas Pai. Pai, in a sharp dig at the Karnataka government, said while neighbouring Andhra Pradesh is opening a Rs 1.3 lakh crore Google data centre, Bengaluru is still struggling to fill potholes.
Earlier, Mazumdar-Shaw had revealed that even foreign investors were discussing the city’s poor road conditions. She shared on X (formerly Twitter) that a Chinese entrepreneur had expressed concern about Bengaluru’s worsening infrastructure, sparking widespread discussion.
Joining the debate, Pai posted on social media: “Our neighbouring Andhra Pradesh is opening a Rs 1.3 lakh crore Google data centre, but we can’t even fix potholes in Bengaluru.” His remarks have intensified criticism of the government’s handling of civic infrastructure in India’s tech capital.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar responded by saying the government has already sanctioned Rs 1,100 crore for road development and repaired around 5,000 potholes, with another 5,000 pending.
Meanwhile, frustrated IT-BT residents from Varthur and Panathur have written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM Shivakumar, stating they will stop paying property tax until roads are fixed.
The exchange reflects growing public anger over Bengaluru’s deteriorating infrastructure — a recurring issue that threatens its reputation as India’s Silicon Valley.
