Let’s learn from Hyderabad

Here is an article that was written by Mr HS Balram, Resident editor of The Times of India, Bangalore. The article was carried in the Sunday Times of India, Bangalore on 17th December 2006.

Makes us feel proud to be a Hyderabadi.

TO THE POINT

Let’s learn from Hyderabad

H S BALRAM

Bangaloreans may not like to hear it but Hyderabad is on the threshold of beating their city in terms of good infrastructure. A silent revolution is taking place there.

Roads have been widened. Flyovers are being constructed at breakneck speed. Public toilets have sprung up at every corner. The streets are well lit. Palm trees have been planted by the roads. A variety of flowering plants adorn medians and roundabouts. Shopping malls, food courts, and shops dot the city.

A 22-km elevated road is being built to connect the heart of the city to the international airport being constructed on the outskirts. Strict deadlines have been fixed for every project. Road cleaning is done only at night. IT giants operating on the city outskirts have been provided better connectivity. Huge hoardings and video screens, erected aesthetically, give the city a corporate look.

How did this happen? A strong political will. Unlike in Karnataka, where development projects are shelved and witch-hunting is resorted to at the change of every regime, the Y S Rajashekara Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh preferred to continue all the ambitious projects initiated by his predecessor, the high-profile Chandrababu Naidu. Everyone, including bitter critics, acknowledge that it was Naidu who put Hyderabad on the fast track, giving tough competition to Bangalore.

After Naidu’s shock defeat at the hustings in 2004, YSR not only kept the projects moving but added fresh ones. Result: Hyderabad is fast but silently developing into a world-class city. Compare this with what happened in Karnataka. S M Krishna did a Chandrababu Naidu and put Bangalore on the world map. When he too met the fate of Naidu in the elections, supposedly for ignoring the rural populace, the Congress-JD(S) coalition government that succeeded him applied the brakes on all the projects initiated by him.

Deve Gowda, the architect of the coalition, questioned every decision of his arch rival Krishna. He even chose to humiliate all those associated with him. The IT industry, which had an excellent equation with Krishna, bore the brunt of Gowda’s wrath. Chief minister Dharam Singh just danced to Gowda’s tunes. Bangalore’s global image took a severe beating. Work on infrastructure projects slowed down, be it the international airport, Metro Rail and the Bangalore-Mysore expressway. The industry started looking at cities outside the state for their expansion plans.

After 20 months, another coalition came into being. This time, it was headed by Gowda’s son Kumaraswamy. He started well by trying to undo the damage and became popular overnight. He desisted from playing the rural card to spite the urban populace. He did a good balancing act and ensured that both got equal attention. He assuaged the hurt feelings of the IT sector. But somewhere along the way he lost track and started speaking his father’s language. That was his undoing.

He got into a slanging match with political adversaries. He received a stinging slap from the apex court for stalling projects. Corruption charges were hurled at him. It’s not that Bangalore hasn’t been showing any improvement on the infrastructure front. Work is going on, but at a painfully slow pace. Excellent projects have been initiated, but most have remained on paper. The much-needed political will is missing.

Except for Kumaraswamy, who appears to show some concern about the city’s problems, everyone else is busy mud-slinging and engaged in one-upmanship. The officialcontractor unholy nexus continues. Corruption is at its peak. The Lok Ayukta has been nabbing one corrupt official after another, but is unable to punish them. It’s still not late. To manage Bangalore, professionalism is needed. The CM must act like a CEO. The Greater Bangalore idea is good. Seven CMCs and a TMC on the periphery, where most IT industries are located, will benefit. They have been crying for good infrastructure.

The administrator and the commissioner must work according to a time-table. Fix a strict time-frame for each project. Fine the contractors heavily for every day of delay. Crack the whip for shoddy work. Punish lethargic and corrupt officials. Meet resident associations, industry and trade representatives frequently. Listen to their grievances and help alleviate them.

Mere promises won’t do. What is needed is action.

Bureaucrats and their political bosses in Karnataka can learn from Hyderabad’s experience. Bangalore generates almost 50% of the state’s revenue. Let’s take care of this great city, so that it takes care of the entire state. Mr CM, are you listening? Maybe a visit to Hyderabad will help.