Mohandas Pai, chairperson of Aarin Capital and former CFO at Infosys, on Sunday blasted the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar after a CEO said that Ahmedabad was at least 10 years ahead of Bengaluru.
"A big big shame on Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike," Pai said reacting to the CEO's remark. "Our DCM @DKShivakumar should travel through the roads and address this issue seriously. Issuing orders which are not carried out shows lack of focus. Anybody punished for failure? Has our lives improved? NO.”
Pai's remarks come after BharatAgri CEO Siddharth Dialani described Ahmedabad as being a decade ahead of Bengaluru in terms of road quality, footpaths, traffic signals, and overall urban planning. “Bangalore is in shambles,” Dadlani said. He pointed to Ahmedabad's superior infrastructure, including well-lit roads, visible lane markings, and functional traffic signals.
Dialani's post comes just days after Coldplay concert at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Several users praised Ahmedabad, with Prashant Abbi, a social media user, saying the city has "got it all - venues, people, infra, management. Pretty sure Delhi, Bangalore are faaarrrr behind atm".
"Every traffic signal in Ahmedabad has a working timer with bright lights. This reduces driver anxiety,” Dadlani said, contrasting this with Bengaluru, where dusty, barely visible signals are the norm. He noted the absence of potholes on Ahmedabad's roads, which he described as wide and well-maintained, compared to Bengaluru’s pothole-riddled streets.
"Here, every traffic signal has a working timer with bright lights. This alone reduces driver anxiety, and makes them stop with patience. Can't believe that such a basic thing is missing in almost all signals of Bangalore. Bangalore is so dusty that signal lights are not even visible," the CEO wrote.
Dadlani said he couldn't find any potholes on Ahmedabad roads. "Roads are so wide and lane markings are quite prominent. It's like markings were done just yesterday. Looking at Bangalore, I used to believe that Indian road quality is going down. After looking at Ahmedabad, I realised that It's not India, it's just Bangalore! I couldn't find any potholes on Ahmedabad roads."
"Moreover, the city is well-lit. At night, the city looks bright and happening. It's surprising that this can directly affect the mood of the population. People are generally happy and smiling. Whereas, Bangalore is dark! Forget bright happening lights, even basic street lights don't work," he said. "Is that why people are generally sad and angry in Bangalore?"