Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday said that the work to fill potholes and repair roads in Bengaluru is “progressing swiftly.” He made the remarks amid rising criticism over the city’s degrading infrastructure and complaints from citizens threatening to stop paying property tax.

Shivakumar shared on X (formerly Twitter) in Kannada that priority is being given to ensuring smooth traffic in Bengaluru. He added that asphalting and pothole-filling work is underway at various locations across the city.

The controversy around Bengaluru’s infrastructure reignited recently after Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw shared an overseas executive’s critical remarks about the city’s roads and garbage management. Shivakumar responded by saying that Bengaluru requires a collective effort from citizens and authorities, rather than constant criticism.

A group of citizens called the Individual Tax Payers Forum, which includes income tax payers, wrote a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urging the government not to collect property tax if good public infrastructure is not provided. The letter reflect poor civic planning, unfinished road works, and inadequate stormwater drainage in areas like Varthur, Balgere, and Panathur.

 It said half-done road repairs and white-topping projects would quickly deteriorate, wasting taxpayer money. The forum also referred to recent severe flooding in the city and criticised authorities for starting road repairs before completing drainage systems. It said Bengaluru, known globally as India’s IT hub, was losing its reputation due to poor roads, traffic jams, lack of footpaths, and weak civic infrastructure.

Shaw also flagged the “dire situation” on Wednesday, saying it is the result of past governments’ failures and that the current government has an opportunity to act fast to fix decades of deteriorating infrastructure and garbage management. State ministers, including Priyank Kharge and M B Patil, acknowledged the city’s problems and said improvements would require time and collective effort.

On Tuesday, Shivakumar stated that 13,000 potholes have been filled so far and shared plans for a permanent solution. He said officials are preparing a Rs 1,100 crore action plan to develop 550 km of arterial roads across Bengaluru. The state government is now under pressure to deliver, as citizens demand better roads, drainage, and overall infrastructure in the rapidly growing city.