Bangalores New Mantra -- R&D

Bangalore has a new Mantra- R&D.

I got a lot of feedback on my bellyaching about Bangalore infrastructure, so I am taking this opportunity to set the record straight and hand out bouquets where due.

If you are envisioning the stunning progress on Research & Development leading to next generation blockbuster medicines/software products/handheld computers etc being rolled out from Bangalore , that is still a reasonably distant dream, we are still mostly cyber coolies despite laudable efforts by a few VC's who are generously doling moolah to startups.

What I am talking about is Roads & Drains --these are the two passions that the new CM of Karnataka has repeatedly spoken about since he took over.

There was an effort by some concerned citizens last year to highlight the plight of bangalore roads through http://www.bangalorepothole.com . Not to be outdone, a me-too site http://www.bangalorepotholes.com/ came up, which lets you use Google search for finding potholes ;-). I guess the next step would be to use Google earth maps to pinpoint potholes ,unless the government objects on grounds of national security and insists on a lower resolution of maps showing potholes.

The CM went a step further and announced a Rs 100 monetary reward for any pothole found by citizens on designated roads, and a fine of Rs 1000 for the BMP engineer responsible for the road. Believe it or not, the Bangalore Municipal Corp has not paid anything so far in the last 2 months (to the citizens I mean, not the engineer) !!

When I repeated this story to someone in Ghaziabad last week, he said, the citizens of Bangalore are not enterprising enough --the Jats of Gzb would have dug up all roads and collected the entire govt treasury ;-)

The CM has also announced plans to perk up Bangalores deplorable night life (pubs close at 11 PM)--via an innovative night inspection of roads and drains. Junta looking for an exciting evening out can just tag along with the CM's convoy as he tours the city examining the infrastructure development done so far.

More power to the CM's elbow I say ;-)