Bengaluru CEO repairs broken footpath for ₹2,700 after BBMP inaction; sparks debate on ‘DIY governance’ | Today’s news
A Bengaluru businessman has decided to adopt “founder mode” for his neighborhood paving after years of formal complaints, emails and automated complaint tickets failed to move the civic authorities.
Frustrated with bureaucratic inertia, IIT alumnus and startup CEO Siddharth Dialani took matters into his own hands and privately funded the repair of the beaten path outside his company in Koramangala.
Dialani took to X, shared a before and after view of the pavement and revealed the administrative detour: “The footpath near my company in Koramangala has been broken for years! I complained to BBMP, emailed GBA, picked up a ticket and spoke to their WA helpline but got no response.”
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Dialani decided he had waited long enough and bypassed the municipal channels entirely. He said, “I finally decided to fix it myself,” adding, “It cost me Rs 2,700, including the cost of labor and cement to build the ramp.”
The low-cost intervention produced immediate results. “Parents with strollers and seniors in wheelchairs can now use it comfortably,” noted Dialani.
Turning the local civic victory into a broader call for urban action, the founder tagged prominent Bengaluru voices — Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, veteran investor Mohandas Pai and Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath — writing, “We should work together and scale this up to more areas of Bangalore.”
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“Pay taxes, then fix it yourself”: Social networks react
Dialani’s social media post quickly struck a chord, sparking a furious debate among taxpayers about the normalization of do-it-yourself governance and the permanent breakdown of civic accountability.
While several users praised the founder’s proactive civic spirit, many expressed sharp outrage that citizens had to privately fund public infrastructure despite paying high taxes.
“It’s sad that this has happened. First pay the tax and then out of pocket to build basic amenities,” one user commented, while another wryly suggested that such repairs “should be eligible for a full tax write-off.”
A stiff price tag, simply put ₹2,700, also drew sarcasm about municipal procurement and execution costs. “If the government responded and the work was done, it would be billed ₹5 lakh minimum,” the user quipped, pointing out typical bureaucratic cost inflation.
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However, the post also raised concerns about civil liability and legal overreach. Critical voices warned that while individual citizen initiatives tackle immediate problems, they risk leaving municipal authorities on a large scale.
“That’s a good thing. At scale, it raises a harder question: what happens when citizens routinely pay to repair public infrastructure? … Who remains responsible for why it’s broken?” the user asked.
Another commenter warned the founders against legal exposure, noting that modifying public sidewalks without the municipality’s permission could expose private citizens to liability in the event of an accident.
