Bengaluru residents have voiced growing frustration over the city's crumbling infrastructure, with a group of taxpayers now threatening to stop paying property tax unless authorities take serious action. Complaints have centred on pothole-ridden roads, inadequate drainage, overflowing garbage, and poorly planned civic works that residents say are causing immense daily inconvenience and safety hazards. The protests come amid mounting criticism from citizens and industry leaders, who argue that decades of neglect have left Bengaluru, India's IT hub, struggling with traffic chaos, flooding, and deteriorating public spaces.

Citizens Demand Action, Threaten Tax Withholding

In a strongly worded letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Individual Tax Payers Forum, representing Bengaluru's income taxpayers, urged the government to halt property tax collection until the city is provided with functional infrastructure. The forum highlighted the plight of families in the Varthur-Balagere-Panathur area, citing poorly coordinated road white-topping and stormwater drainage projects. Residents argued that half-measured, unscientific roadworks and delayed drainage systems were only worsening flooding and accelerating road damage, thereby wasting taxpayers' money.

“The citizens and taxpayers are suffering immensely along with our families and children because of bad civic infrastructure planning by Municipal Authorities and the Greater Bengaluru Authority,” the letter stated. The forum warned that ongoing neglect threatens Bengaluru's global reputation as a leading technology and business hub, turning it instead into a city synonymous with traffic jams, potholes, and poor public amenities.

Individual Tax Payers Forum (ITPF), Bengaluru @IncomeTaxPayers demands the government for a tax refund after continued neglect of the IT Corridor. It's our long pending demand are the concerns:1️⃣ The IT area never gets attention from the government sitting comfortably in... twitter/Ju1N0L7Q2j

- Civic Opposition of India (@CivicOp_india) October 15, 2025

Biocon Chief Flags Infrastructure Woes

The debate over Bengaluru's civic condition was reignited after Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw shared a visiting overseas executive's critical remarks about the city's roads and garbage on social media. Shaw emphasised the urgent need for the government to act on decades of deteriorating infrastructure and called for swift, visible improvements in waste management and road quality. She highlighted that failure to address these issues not only affects residents' daily lives but also risks tarnishing the city's image internationally.

DK Shivakumar Responds To Concerns

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who oversees Bengaluru development, responded by assuring citizens that work to improve road conditions is progressing“swiftly.” Posting on X in Kannada, he said,“Giving priority to smooth traffic in Bengaluru city, the work of asphalting roads at various places in the city and filling potholes is progressing swiftly.”

ಸುಗಮ ಸಂಚಾರವೇ ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ಮೊದಲ ಆದ್ಯತೆ!ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ನಗರದಲ್ಲಿ ಸುಗಮ ಸಂಚಾರಕ್ಕೆ ಆದ್ಯತೆ ನೀಡಿ, ನಗರದ ವಿವಿಧೆಡೆ ರಸ್ತೆಗೆ ಡಾಂಬರೀಕರಣ ಹಾಗೂ ರಸ್ತೆ ಗುಂಡಿ ಮುಚ್ಚುವ ಕಾರ್ಯ ಚುರುಕಾಗಿ ಸಾಗಿದೆ. #NammaBengaluru twitter/lKHgvy27aA

- DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) October 15, 2025

Shivakumar stated that 13,000 potholes have already been filled, while officials are drafting a Rs 1,100 crore plan to redevelop 550 km of arterial roads across the city. He acknowledged the need for a“permanent solution” to Bengaluru's long-standing road problems and emphasised the importance of collective effort to improve the city's infrastructure.

Government Urged To Take Long-Term Measures

While Shivakumar and other state ministers, including Priyank Kharge and M B Patil, have acknowledged the city's infrastructure challenges, they have cautioned that resolving them will take time. Residents, however, insist that piecemeal measures are insufficient, arguing that comprehensive planning, timely execution of drainage projects, and sustainable road maintenance are essential to prevent further deterioration and flooding.

The situation reflects a growing impatience among Bengaluru's taxpayers, who are demanding accountability and faster action to restore the city's civic standards, protect property, and preserve Bengaluru's status as India's leading IT and innovation hub.

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