By The Hindu Bureau

Copyright thehindu

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Wednesday (October 8, 2025) said he has moved heaven and earth to fix Bengaluru’s garbage problems, but the involvement of mafias has stalled the progress.

He was speaking during a discussion on “GBA: Transformative Vision for Bengaluru with GBA” organised by BPAC and Mount Carmel College.

Speaking during a session about the government’s “transformative vision” for Bengaluru through the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), he said the city’s challenges are deep-rooted and require coordination among multiple agencies.

Across parties

“Even the BJP was not successful, and so far, we (Congress) too are not, because garbage mafias are not allowing us to work. I am moving heaven and earth, but the mafia are involved,” he said.

Mr. Shivakumar said that Bengaluru appears to make “more noise” when it comes to potholes and bad roads than other cities because of its open media environment. “Bengaluru gets headlines because here, we are free, the media and social media work without restrictions. But in other states like Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh, the media cannot function this freely,” he said.

“Here, some parents make their children cry to highlight bad roads and it gets posted and becomes a headline. We, as politicians, welcome such criticism; that’s how we can rectify our mistakes. I understand people’s frustrations, even my daughters scold me for getting stuck in traffic. But we are proactively doing our work, and people will remember these efforts 10 years from now,” the DCM said.

Why GBA now?

Speaking on the formation of GBA, he said, “The idea was to bring better coordination and accountability among departments. Every citizen should know what they should contribute and what the government will do. We are policymakers, but we never take decisions independently, we consult all stakeholders.”

Urbanisation is a big challenge for any country, Mr. Shivakumar said, adding that people come to Bengaluru for education, employment, and better living standards. “I am from a village near Bengaluru South. My parents brought me here for quality education, and I never went back. That’s the story of everyone here,” he said. He further noted that Bengaluru’s strong educational base has made it a talent hub that can challenge any city. During S.M. Krishna’s tenure as Chief Minister, the population was 70 lakhs, now it’s 1.4 crore, he said.

Referring to a recent issue involving logistics startup BlackBuck, he said, “Some fellow threatened us that he will go back. But before that, he came here because he was earning. People come and do business here because this is a talent hub.” However, the city’s growth has brought complex issues. Mobility, solid waste management, and drinking water are the biggest problems, he said, pointing out that Bengaluru now has 1.27 crore registered vehicles and that its population could touch two crore soon.

He further added that 50% of seats in the new civic wards would be reserved for women. “From panchayat to Parliament, we need more women leaders. They are the decision-makers in families, they should be part of governance too,” he said.

Tunnel Road

Regarding criticism of projects like the tunnel road, the DCM said, “You cannot satisfy everyone. Everyone wants to own a car, and then they complain about traffic. Time is money, I don’t want people to be stuck in traffic anymore.”

“Whatever we do, there are some sadists. Now people are saying with tunnel road, I will be affecting Lalbagh. I am not a mad man. Only around the rock part there is an exit planned. I know if I touch Lalbagh, people will break my head,” the DCM said, promising the continuity of tunnel road projects alongside other massive infrastructure projects taken up by the Congress government.

“Whatever law the Congress party makes, no other government can change. Even during the GBA deliberations, BJP and JD(S) leaders too gave their suggestions,” he added.