TrueIndian

It’s “Bengaluru”. With all our “broken roads, invisible footpaths, unchecked garbage” we some how managed to attract and retain talent and create jobs for millions of Indians coming from everywhere & making it home. Quality of life in Bengaluru is not defined by social media posts designed for engagement farming but lived experiences of people. Talk to people in the real world. Our city is so amazing that no one wants to leave despite issues. It’s a work in progress, like all great cities are. We just went from 1 corporation to 5 and 198 wards to 369 which will lead to better service delivery. Comparing what happens inside a business park with what’s outside doesn’t make sense as the challenges are much different from building and maintaining public infrastructure in the real world with limited powers, funds, capacities. Business parks are mini islands that don’t need to deal with legacy of sewage lines, land rights, legal disputes, 500 years of history. This is the story of all mega cities as our local governance system has not evolved in 30 years; both Union & State governments retain all the revenues generated by cities without sharing them. Cities are not given even a fraction of taxes they generate. If we want our cities to deliver better, we should work on solutions that empower them as City Governments, not compare them.