Following a surge of public outrage, social media posts, memes, and criticism over the poor condition of Bengaluru’s roads — including remarks from foreign nationals and business leaders — Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has issued a stern directive to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) Commissioner M. Maheshwar Rao to repair all potholes in the city within a week.

The Chief Minister instructed officials to not only fill the potholes but also resurface damaged stretches with new tar to improve the overall road condition.

Recalling Bengaluru’s heritage, Siddaramaiah remarked that during the times of Kempegowda, the city’s roads and markets held great importance. He emphasised that the state government continues to invest heavily in the city’s infrastructure and will do so in the future, given the rapid growth of Bengaluru’s population and the increasing demand for better civic facilities.

The Chief Minister also criticized the Union government’s financial policies, stating that 87% of the Bengaluru Metro’s funding has come from Karnataka taxpayers. He further noted that recent changes in the GST policy have caused the state a revenue loss of nearly Rs15,000 crore.

Under the ongoing road improvement drive, 5.57 km of roads in the Gandhinagar constituency will be upgraded through white-topping works, at a cost of Rs58.44 crore, to be completed within 11 months.