By The Hindu Bureau

Copyright thehindu

Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday said the government is unfazed by threats and blackmail amid the ongoing debate about companies leaving the city over infrastructure concerns.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, in a dig at Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Shivakumar added that no one is stopping anyone from attracting and relocating companies from Bengaluru. “They don’t have people there, so they are trying to take from here,” he said, when asked about neighbouring States offering space for companies.

He pointed out that Bengaluru is home to 3 lakh foreigners making use of opportunities, and employs 25 lakh engineers, whereas a place like California has only 1.3 lakh.

“The system and talent pool in Bengaluru is strong. If they feel Bengaluru is safe and good, they will do business here,” Mr. Shivakumar said, noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself has called Bengaluru a global city.

He expressed surprise that only Bengaluru’s pothole problem is highlighted, even though places like Delhi and Maharashtra face the same issue.

Mr. Shivakumar reiterated that the civic body is working on an action plan to find a permanent solution to potholes, rather than merely filling them every time they appear.

He noted that the overnight rain between Wednesday and Thursday had created nearly 20 potholes around Vidhana Soudha in central Bengaluru. “What will you do when rain creates havoc? It’s nature. But we cannot sit idle; it is our responsibility to fix it,” he said.

Mr. Shivakumar further stated that the government had issued a timeline for filling potholes and fixed accountability. The Chief Minister has also called a meeting on Saturday to discuss the matter, he said.

“Educational institutions making children write letters to Prime Minister and tweeting should contest elections and do politics, then they will understand,” Mr. Shivakumar said, responding to a private school that made public a letter written by students about poor infrastructure in East Bengaluru.

Meanwhile, he also dismissed Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s criticism of the government for highlighting the pothole issue.

On Thursday, Mr. Kumaraswamy posted a long message on X, saying: “A government that claims it has no funds to fill potholes must answer: where is the taxpayers’ money going? Whose pockets is it filling? The people deserve an answer.”

Mr. Shivakumar, in turn, questioned Mr. Kumaraswamy’s contribution to Bengaluru. “Isn’t he the left and right hand of Modi? We are happy… Let him bring ₹10,000 crore for Bengaluru,” he said.