PIcture : ANI/ X Video Grab
Responding to repeated criticism from some industry leaders about Bengaluru’s infrastructure issues, Karnataka deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said that he is open to criticism but some people are doing it too much, and he will remain unfazed by such things.
Asserting that the government is taking measures to fix these issues, Shivakumar, who is also the minister in-charge for Bengaluru development. said that people have given the Congress government an opportunity and it wants to serve them.
The state government has come under criticism over the “poor state of roads and traffic issues in the city”, for some time now, with industry veterans like former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai and Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw repeatedly openly urging the state government to immediately intervene.
“The population in Bengaluru city is 1.40 crore. Transport minister Ramalinga Reddy was saying that 3,000 vehicles are getting registered per day. 1.23 crore vehicles are registered in Bengaluru. 70 lakh people come to Bengaluru for jobs, education and other things, some go back. Population is increasing,” Shivakumar said.
According to PTI report, Addressing the gathering, he said, “Those who have started businesses here, have grown. After growing big they have forgotten from what stage they have grown into what stage now. If you forget the root, you will not get the fruit. Some have forgotten and are criticizing by tweeting.”
Noting that an opportunity has been provided to citizens to bring to the notice of the authorities about the pothole issues, by sending pictures to a phone number through Whatsapp, under “fix my pothole” campaign, the Deputy CM said, no where in the country, such an opportunity has been given to citizens.
“I welcome all the criticism, no problem. Because criticism increases the value of democracy. But some are doing it too much and these things won’t bother me. People have given us an opportunity and we want to serve them,” he added.
