Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) President and Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya on Tuesday, 23 June urged Karnataka's Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda to formulate a comprehensive development plan for the city, demanding a white paper on road repair expenditure within 30 days and the creation of a live public dashboard to track infrastructure projects. Surya made the demands at a press conference held at the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters, Jagannath Bhavan, in Malleswaram, after meeting the Minister for detailed discussions on 15 key issues related to Bengaluru's civic infrastructure.

Key Demands Placed Before the Minister

Surya said he had submitted detailed data and suggestions to Minister Byre Gowda covering a range of development concerns. He urged the state government to prioritise completion of pending projects before announcing new ones, noting that more than 30 projects undertaken by the state remain incomplete. He also called for the appointment of a Chairperson for the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) and suggested that it function as a nodal coordination agency among the city's more than a dozen infrastructure bodies — including the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), and Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited (KRIDL).

Road Repair Spending Under Scanner

Questioning the state government's claims on pothole repairs, Surya alleged that thousands of crores of rupees had been spent on road maintenance since the Congress government came to power, yet potholes continued to pose a major problem across the city. Citing statements made by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar during his earlier tenure as Bengaluru Development Minister, Surya demanded greater transparency on the utilisation of public funds. 'This is taxpayers' money. Citizens have a right to know how much has been spent and where the money has gone,' he said. He called on the state government to release a white paper within 30 days detailing expenditure incurred on pothole repairs over the past three years.

Metro Expansion Delays and Cost Escalation

Expressing concern over delays in Metro expansion, Surya said no major new Metro project had commenced in the last four-and-a-half years. He noted that although the Centre had approved Metro Phase-III, including the Orange Line, tendering was yet to begin even after two years, resulting in escalating project costs. He also alleged that efforts to reduce costs had led to shorter underground metro station platforms, which would limit future operations to six-coach trains instead of the originally planned eight-coach trains. Additionally, he urged authorities to start metro services from 5 am every day to ease the commute for long-distance workers.

Centre's Funding Offer and Scheme Gaps

Surya referred to the Centre's Urban Challenge Fund (UCF), under which ₹1 lakh crore has been earmarked in the Union Budget, and claimed that Karnataka had not submitted proposals seeking assistance under the scheme. 'If the state government submits proper Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), the Centre is ready to provide funding,' he said. He also alleged that no rental housing units had been constructed in Bengaluru under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana's rental housing component since the present state government assumed office, despite the scheme having been introduced two years ago.

Live Dashboard for Accountability

Surya called for the creation of a live public dashboard containing real-time information on projects being executed by agencies such as BDA, BMRCL, and KRIDL. 'A live dashboard will enable citizens to track projects, know which agency is responsible and improve accountability. It will also help policymakers and administrators monitor progress more effectively,' he said. He urged the state government to implement the dashboard within two months, adding that merely suspending officials would not bring systemic change and that transparency was essential for improving governance. Issues relating to drinking water supply, lake conservation, groundwater protection, and staff shortages in the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) area were also discussed with the Minister. State BJP Chief Spokesperson C.N. Ashwath Narayan, Bengaluru North district President S. Harish, and party leader Sridhar Reddy were also present at the press conference. With the state government yet to respond formally, Surya's 30-day deadline for the white paper will be a key political flashpoint in the weeks ahead.