'No one can blackmail govt, won't stop anyone from going': DK Shivakumar to IT firms looking to exit Bengaluru

BENGALURU: Unfazed by criticism over the city's crumbling infrastructure, deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar, who is also the Bengaluru development minister, hit back at corporates looking to move out of Bengaluru, saying: "No one can threaten or blackmail the govt.

I will not stop anyone from going.

"Shivakumar's retort follows city-based logistics platform BlackBuck's decision to move out of Bellandur (off Outer Ring Road) after nine years, citing worsening road conditions. Several other corporate honchos and start-up founders, too, have voiced their discontent over the poor state of the road in the ORR-Mahadevapura stretch.

In fact, Andhra Pradesh IT minister Nara Lokesh had welcomed BlackBuck co-founder Rajesh Yabaji, urging him to consider shifting base to Visakhapatnam. Shivakumar, however, stuck to his guns. He told media Thursday: "I wish them all the good luck. If they are not satisfied with manpower, talent, or facilities, I cannot stop them, but no one can threaten the govt - I am telling you this." After Shivakumar's statement, BlackBuck toned down its stance: "We're only relocating within the city to a different location, which will facilitate an easy commute for our employees."

The DCM said areas like Mahadevapura faced unique challenges, where some localities fell under corporation limits, while others didn't.

Shivakumar on exit threats: Let them go, no other city can match B’luru

The minister highlighted the govt’s recent restructuring of civic governance by establishing Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) under which the city has been split into five corporations comprising 198 wards to address rising population pressures.Admitting that areas like Mahadevapura face unique challenges, the deputy CM said: “Some localities fall under corporation limits, others don’t.

We have increased ward sizes because constituencies now have three times the population they once did.”Shivakumar had earlier reasoned: “No one will go out of Bengaluru for infrastructure reasons. If they do, it will be due to business or financial problems. Blackmailing the govt will not help. Let them go wherever they want — no city can match Bengaluru.”Weighing in on the issue, Lokesh posted on X: “Here is what sets AP apart from others — we don’t dismiss our people’s genuine grievances as ‘blackmail’.

We treat them with the dignity and seriousness they deserve.” Attack on BJP Shivakumar, meanwhile, trained his guns on BJP and its political allies. While asking citizens to ponder over why the BJP MLA of Mahadevapura (the constituency that houses the tech corridor) was silent on the issue of failing infrastructure, he asked: “Why didn’t the opposition leaders and BJP MPs get central funds for Bengaluru?” Defending his govt, Shivakumar further said potholes near Vidhana Soudha were being fixed.

“Just because people tweet about it, we cannot stop our work. Why is Bengaluru being singled out?” he asked.