Bengaluru: As the Congress-led state government approaches its two-year milestone on May 13, glaring delays in infrastructure development across Bengaluru continue to draw public criticism. While new proposals and grand announcements have flowed steadily, many earlier projects have seen little to no progress, leaving residents to deal with disrupted roads, construction debris, and daily traffic nightmares.
Several civic initiatives that were tendered and publicized with much fanfare have either stalled mid-way or never taken off. From white-topping of roads and stormwater drain upgrades to pedestrian-friendly corridors and flyover completions, deadlines have come and gone with little accountability or visible advancement on the ground.
Urban mobility experts and citizen groups argue that the root cause lies in poor inter-agency coordination, lack of planning continuity, and limited budgetary follow-through. Projects tendered by one department are often not picked up for execution, or they clash with other overlapping works by BBMP, BWSSB, or BESCOM—resulting in duplicity and delays.
Citizens complain that areas like Outer Ring Road, Bannerghatta Road, and parts of North Bengaluru are bearing the brunt of such neglect. “Roads have been dug up for months with no progress. Every monsoon it’s the same story of flooding and broken infrastructure,” said a resident of HSR Layout.
Despite the political push to project Bengaluru as a modern, investor-friendly metropolis, the growing pile-up of stalled civic works tells another story—one of inefficiency and lost public trust. Analysts say unless a system for strict monitoring and inter-departmental collaboration is enforced, the city’s infrastructure will remain a patchwork of promises and potholes.
With the government entering its third year, citizens are demanding tangible results and a shift from announcements to actual delivery.
