As Krishna Byre Gowda took charge as Bengaluru Development Minister, citizens and resident welfare associations are expecting a shift from project-centric governance to maintenance-centric governance, with a focus on improving the quality of roads and drains and the commuting experience rather than pursuing unplanned expansion with new projects.

Another major change that citizens are expecting is better coordination between the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and the rural administration to improve connectivity and everyday life.

Karunakar Reddy, a resident of Electronic City Phase 2, which falls under panchayat limits, explained that development in the city’s fringes has been rapid, but transport infrastructure has remained stagnant, leaving commuters struggling on a daily basis.

“There are many people who work in the city centre and eastern parts of the city while residing in the outskirts due to affordable housing. They mostly rely on the metro; however, road connectivity and last-mile connectivity remain significantly poor and should be prioritised,” he said.

Mr. Reddy stressed that the new Minister should ensure that departments communicate with one another regularly and that a separate platform be created to address issues that cut across multiple departments. For example, the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP), BMRCL, and BMTC must work together to address last-mile connectivity issues.

Santanam, a resident of Ananth Nagar in Electronics City, explained that interior roads within panchayat limits are in a miserable condition, while the quality improves somewhat once commuters reach city roads.

Paradigm shift in approach

R. Rajagopalan, convenor of Bengaluru Coalition, a collective of civil society organisations, stressed that systemic issues must be addressed through a “root cause” approach. He noted that Mr. Gowda must develop a culture of spot inspections at problem sites and hold officials accountable by conducting random location visits, which could help address civic issues across the city.

“We need transparency at the ward level, work allocation with all the requisite project details, and an intense focus on accountability for non-performance. The officials’ ward-level contact list needs to be published along with updated performance records, field inspection reports, scorecards, and proceedings of weekly grievance redressal meetings,” he noted.

Establishing a public platform, a one-stop guide to all GBA contacts, to improve transparency and create a more effective work-management model has been a longstanding demand from citizens, and RWAs are now pushing for it more strongly.

Zibi Jamal, a member of Whitefield Rising, stressed the importance of transparency and citizen participation. “Residents should have access to real-time public dashboards on budgets, works, and expenditures because accountability begins with visibility. Bengaluru does not need more announcements; it needs consistent delivery, maintenance, and governance that works,” she said.

Rajkumar Dugar, convenor of Citizens for Citizen, a civic advocacy group, said that the government should adopt a sponge city concept as a comprehensive policy, with the aim of raising groundwater levels and reducing flooding.

Basic infrastructure

Most civic activists and groups focused their demands on improving basic infrastructure. Ms. Jamal said, “Bengaluru also needs a shift from project-centric governance to maintenance-centric governance, with greater attention to roads, footpaths, streetlights, drains, parks, lakes, waste management, and public toilets.”

She noted that citizens are looking for strong enforcement of the rule of law, including an immediate crackdown on illegal constructions, accountability in public works, and strict adherence to standards by all agencies, including contractors, Bescom, BWSSB, and the new city corporations.

Sujith Cariappa of the Social Amenities Association noted that they oppose further densification of already congested neighbourhoods through flyover-centric projects that erode green cover. Instead, they advocate planned suburban townships that encourage horizontal growth. They hope that public interest, accountability, and long-term urban planning will prevail over politics and bureaucracy.