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A two-year review of the Congress government in Karnataka by citizens’ group CIVIC Bangalore has found that less than 7% of the party’s manifesto promises have been fulfilled, with most major commitments either “uninitiated” or “still in progress”. CIVIC’s manifesto report card, released on Friday, evaluated 134 promises across eight sectors using RTI replies and public data. The analysis found that only 6.7% of promises had been fulfilled. Excluding the flagship five guarantees, the completion rate dropped to 3.1%, with only four non-guarantee promises marked as completed. What is yet to be done These included revising school textbooks, establishing public-charging points at metro and bus stations, enacting new legislation for the governance of Bengaluru through the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act (GBGA), and setting up a welfare board for auto and taxi drivers. Two time-bound promises - completion of pending metro projects within a year and filling teacher vacancies in government and aided institutions - were marked as “failed” due to missed timelines. A significant number of commitments remain in progress, such as drafting a State Education Policy, regularising pourakarmikas, revising minimum wages, and strengthening public health infrastructure, the review found. Sectors such as urban development (70%) and health and governance (64.3% each) recorded the highest proportion of promises where work is yet to begin, while mining, environment and Namma Bengaluru showed relatively better progress. Sectoral review CIVIC’s sectoral review presented a more nuanced picture across 10 policy areas, noting both constructive initiatives and deep structural weaknesses. In agriculture, while drought relief and pro-farmer schemes like Namma Millet Yojane and Kissan Malls were lauded, the review flagged the continued acquisition of fertile agricultural land for industrial projects as a major policy contradiction. The education sector drew sharp criticism. Despite nutrition and welfare schemes such as free electricity and eggs for students, over 62,000 teacher vacancies remain unfilled and learning outcomes continue to lag below the national average, according to the latest ASER survey. The introduction of facial recognition attendance in schools was flagged as a serious privacy concern. The public health review expressed concern over the “piecemeal and privatisation-oriented” approach, with public health expenditure hovering around 4%, well below the recommended 8%. CIVIC cautioned that Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models for district hospitals threaten affordable healthcare access. On the environment, the report described a “systemic pattern of degradation,” citing clearances for projects in protected areas and dilution of lake buffer zones in Bengaluru. The labour analysis acknowledged positive steps such as the formulation of a State Labour Policy, but pointed to fragmented, sector-specific welfare laws risk delaying the creation of a universal social security framework. Governance and fiscal concerns CIVIC termed the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act “undemocratic,” citing delayed municipal polls and centralisation of authority. It also warned that the five guarantees, while providing relief to households, have imposed a fiscal burden exceeding ₹50,000 crore, potentially constraining investment in education and health. Summarising its findings, the review said the government appears “caught between seeking power and empowering people,” and urged stronger accountability and systemic reforms to translate promises into outcomes. The findings were presented at a public event presided over by T.R. Raghunandan, with journalist Shivasundar and Prof. Vinod Vyasulu, founder-director of the Centre for Budget and Policy Studies (CBPS), participating as civil-society respondents. Political representatives Sathyaprakash E. (Congress), Ashok K.M. Gowda (BJP), and H.N. Devaraju (JD-S) represented their parties.
