'Even God can’t fix Bengaluru roads soon': Karnataka deputy CM DK Shivakumar sparks row (WATCH)
Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on Friday sparked row after he said even God can’t fix Bengaluru's traffic in the next two or three years.
FollowKarnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar sparked row after he said even God can’t fix Bengaluru's traffic in the next two or three years. Shivakumar is also Minister in-charge of Bengaluru Development.
"Even if god were to descend and walk on Bengaluru roads, nothing can be done in within the next one, two or three years! It is a difficult situation," Shivakumar said, after inaugurating Namma Raste 2025, a workshop organised by BBMP and WRI India.
He also released the Namma Raste Handbook, a design standards manual for a nearly 13,000km road network in the city. Shivakumar's candid confession, which underscores the gravity of Bengaluru's traffic and infrastructure crisis, comes at a time when the demand for pothole-free roads and smooth traffic is intense.
“I want to tell the media friends and others, even if God himself comes down from above, he cannot do anything (to fix) Bengaluru within the next one year, two years, or three years. Such is the difficulty. We have to plan properly, implement the projects, and we are making efforts to give a proper outline for the days ahead," Shivakumar said.
Explaining the challenges the city faces, Shivakumar turned the spotlight on space crunch, "The city's population has touched 1.4 crore and the number of vehicles registered has also increased to 1.1 crore."
Reiterating that tunnel roads are the best solutions to Bengaluru's traffic crisis, he said: "I've been talking about tunnel roads from the beginning (since coming to power), but we're yet to call tenders. There are a lot of technical issues, land acquisition challenges and financial issues, among other things."
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Shivakumar's remarks faced severe criticism from the BJP, with leader of opposition R Ashoka demanding that the former step down and make way for someone more capable if he is unable to take responsibility and address the city’s traffic issues.
Ashoka on Friday said ‘Brand Bengaluru’ turns out to be another “bland statement” of Congress government in the state.
“Leaders in public life must demonstrate a sense of responsibility unlike the Deputy CM Shivakumar, who only treats Bengaluru as a cash cow to fund his personal ambitions. If DCM DK Shivakumar can’t take the responsibility of fixing Bengaluru’s civic issues, he must step down and make way for someone capable,” the BJP leader said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
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