‘Best talent, worst infrastructure’: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw flags Bengaluru woes; DKS vows to fix it

BENGALURU: Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar has acknowledged Bengaluru’s chronic infrastructure problems while responding to a public appeal from Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw on social media.“Namma Bengaluru has the best talent and the best weather but the worst infrastructure — if we fix garbage, debris and roads, we can be among the best cities in the world. GBA (Greater Bengaluru Authority) has a great opportunity to do this. Let’s use collective will to do this,” Mazumdar-Shaw posted on X, tagging Shivakumar and BBMP chief commissioner Maheshwar Rao M.Conceding her point, Shivakumar replied: “Agree with you… Bengaluru has always had the talent, the weather, and the spirit.

What it lacked was political will. That’s exactly what we are fixing now.”

DKS: City’s future is ours to build

The deputy CM said the state govt was addressing challenges ranging from garbage, debris to roads and planning "with purpose and urgency". Emphasising the role of the newly constituted GBA, he added: "With GBA, we now have a unique opportunity to transform this vision into reality, and we will deliver."Calling for collaboration, Shivakumar urged citizens, govt, businesses and civil society to "come together and shape a new chapter for Namma Bengaluru," saying: "The future is ours to build - together!"

This is not the first time Shivakumar is candid about what's crippling Bengaluru and its traffic. Two weeks ago, he had stated in the legislative council that his children, too, complain about traffic and infrastructure.Last week, schoolchildren in Mahadevapura sent in 500 postcards to Shivakumar, saying, "We need basic infra, not daily adventure," highlighting travails of daily commuting to school on gridlocked roads in tech hub.