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CA
Civic Admin
17 Jul 2024
Bengaluru
National Policy Debate: The Mojo Story
Mithilesh Kumar joined Barkha Dutt on The Mojo Story to debate the economic viability of the proposed Private Sector Job Reservation Bill.
Our Stance:
We argued that the mandate is practically infeasible and risks diverting attention from the core issue—the urgent need for urban infrastructure reform to drive genuine economic growth.
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Civic Admin
05 Jan
Bengaluru
Bengaluru Cannot Be Dug Out of Congestion: A Citizen’s Appeal to Halt Tunnel Roads
To The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah Vidhana Soudha Bengaluru Subject: An urgent appeal to halt the tunnel road project and protect Bengaluru from irreversible urban harm Respected Chief Minister Sir, We write to you on behalf of Civic Opposition of India, a citizen-led public platform working on issues of urban governance, mobility, and environmental accountability. This letter is a sincere and urgent appeal to pause and reconsider the proposed tunnel road project in Bengaluru before the city is pushed further into irreversible ecological and financial damage. Bengaluru is not facing a shortage of roads. It is facing a collapse of planning, public transport neglect, and institutional accountability. The tunnel road proposal, projected to cost tens of thousands of crores of public money, attempts to treat congestion as an engineering problem rather than a governance failure. History shows that such solutions do not reduce traffic. They merely relocate it, deeper and more expensively. Around the world, cities that once embraced urban highways and tunnels are now dismantling them at enormous cost, having learnt that induced demand overwhelms every new lane, flyover, or tunnel. Bengaluru risks repeating these mistakes at a scale the city can neither afford nor survive. Recent experience in Bengaluru validates this concern. The newly constructed loop at the Hebbal flyover, instead of easing congestion, has merely shifted traffic to the next junction, exactly the pattern predicted by transport experts. This real-time evidence underscores that building more road capacity for cars does not solve congestion; it merely relocates it and deepens the city’s infrastructure distress. Why this project alarms citizens 1. It diverts scarce public money from real solutions At a time when Bengaluru struggles with broken footpaths, unsafe streets, poor bus frequency, unfinished suburban rail, and chronic last-mile gaps, committing massive funds to tunnels prioritizes private vehicles over the daily commuter. This is neither equitable nor sustainable. 2. It poses serious environmental and hydrological risks Large-scale underground construction in a city already suffering from groundwater depletion and flooding raises grave concerns. Tunnelling threatens aquifers, destabilizes soil layers, and increases long-term flood risk, especially in a city whose natural drainage systems and lakes are already compromised. 3. It weakens democratic and planning processes Projects of this magnitude demand transparent studies, independent peer review, and genuine public consultation. Citizens increasingly feel that decisions are being fast-tracked while dissenting voices, urban experts, and resident groups are treated as obstacles rather than stakeholders. 4. It locks Bengaluru into a car-centric future Every rupee spent on tunnels is a rupee not spent on buses, metro integration, suburban rail, cycling infrastructure, and walkable streets. Tunnel roads institutionalize inequality by privileging car owners while the majority continue to endure unreliable, unsafe, and overcrowded public transport. The larger truth Bengaluru’s traffic problem cannot be solved underground. It must be solved at the surface, where people live, walk, cycle, and commute daily. Cities are not saved by hiding cars beneath them. They are saved by reducing car dependence altogether. This city once led India in innovation and forward thinking. Today, it risks becoming a case study in how not to plan a metropolis. Citizens are not opposing development. We are opposing misdirected development that mortgages the city’s future for short-term optics. What we respectfully ask We urge your government to: 1. Immediately pause the tunnel road project and place all related studies, contracts, and feasibility reports in the public domain. 2. Constitute an independent urban mobility and environment review panel, including transport planners, hydrologists, climate experts, and citizen representatives. 3. Redirect priority and funding to public transport, especially BMTC expansion, suburban rail acceleration, last-mile connectivity, and safe pedestrian infrastructure. 4. Adopt a long-term mobility vision that reduces private vehicle dependence rather than accommodating its unchecked growth. A citizen’s appeal Chief Minister Sir, Bengaluru does not need grand underground experiments. It needs honest governance, people-first mobility, and the courage to say no to projects that look impressive but harm the city quietly and permanently. We request your personal intervention to ensure that Bengaluru’s future is shaped by wisdom, not by inertia or pressure from vested interests. This decision will define how history remembers this phase of the city’s leadership. Yours sincerely, Civic Opposition of India Citizen-led platform for urban governance and public accountability
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CA
Civic Admin
10 Dec
Bengaluru
We Blame the Government, But What About Us?
A recent viral post on Reddit titled "As if the roads aren't trash enough already" captures a frustrating reality in Bengaluru. While we rightfully demand better infrastructure from the authorities, we often witness citizens adding to the chaos—be it dumping garbage, debris, or recklessly blocking already damaged roads. Civic Opposition of India, calls this the "Double Whammy" of Bengaluru.
We fight the system for filling potholes," They say, "but who do we fight for basic civic sense? If the government fails us on infrastructure, and we fail ourselves on cleanliness, the city doesn't stand a chance."Civic responsibility goes hand-in-hand with civic rights. We cannot demand a world-class city while treating our streets like open dumpsters.
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News
CA
Civic Admin
06 Dec
Mahadevapura, Bengaluru
Another Life Lost to Bengaluru’s Potholes: When Will It End?
It is devastating to read that a 30-year-old techie has lost his life simply because our roads are unfit for travel. This isn't an "accident"; it is a systemic failure.
Civic Opposition of India, has consistently warned that "Bengaluru's roads are killing people." Their words ring tragically true today.The cycle is predictable: a life is lost, outrage follows, a few potholes are patched, and then silence—until the next tragedy. We demand more than just patchworks. We demand accountability for the engineers and officials responsible for maintaining these death traps. How many more tax-paying citizens must die before we get safe infrastructure? Full coverage. #Bengaluru #RoadSafety #CivicOpposition #PotholeDeath #Accountability #UrbanInfrastructure #Karnataka
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News
CA
Civic Admin
21 Nov
Marathahalli, Bengaluru
When Space Travel is Easier Than a Commute in Bengaluru
It is a statement that has sparked a nationwide infrastructure debate. Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who has traveled to the International Space Station, recently remarked that reaching space was easier than navigating Bengaluru's traffic from Marathahalli. Civic Opposition of India, seized on this moment to highlight the gravity of the situation:
"You can reach space faster than you can reach Tumkur Road from Marathahalli! The irony is that while we aim for the stars, our ground reality is stuck in gridlock."They question why political urgency is missing when even astronauts find our roads more challenging than zero-gravity missions. It is time for the government to fix the basics before claiming "Global City" status FT Article #BengaluruTraffic #ShubhanshuShukla #CivicOpposition #UrbanMobility #InfrastructureDebate #Bangalore
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News
CA
Civic Admin
31 Oct
Bengaluru
A "Return Gift" for Litterbugs: Is the GBA's New Approach Effective?
Bengaluru is known for its innovation, but the Garbage Dumping Festival (or Kasa Suriyuva Habba) takes it to a new level. The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and BSWML have launched a campaign where garbage dumped on the streets is collected and returned right back to the doorstep of the offender.
Civic Opposition of India, weighs in on this bold move:
"It is a drastic measure for a drastic problem. For years, we have seen apathy. This 'return gift' policy forces citizens to literally face their own mess. Accountability must be a two-way street."
While some call it controversial, the message is clear: If you litter, be prepared to get it back. The question remains—will this shame-based approach lead to long-term behavioral change? Full coverage #Bengaluru #GarbageDumpingFestival #CivicOpposition #SwachhBharat #WasteManagement #CivicSense #GBA
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News
CA
Civic Admin
20 Sept
Bengaluru
Global Tech Hub, Third-World Infrastructure?
Today's reports on the dangerous condition of roads outside the Google office in Bengaluru expose the grim reality of our so-called "IT Corridor."
Civic Opposition of India (previously Citizens Movement) has repeatedly raised this issue: If a global tech hub like Bagmane Tech Park cannot guarantee safe footpaths for its employees, what hope do ordinary residential layouts have?
The Civic group points out the irony: "We have Google Maps to navigate the world, but no safe footpath to navigate into the Google office itself."
We demand immediate repair of these service roads. Pedestrian safety cannot be compromised for corporate gloss.
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News
CA
Civic Admin
20 Sept
Mahadevapura, Bengaluru
"Unsafe": The Reality Outside Google’s Bengaluru Office
It is ironic that outside one of the world’s most advanced tech campuses, the physical infrastructure is in the stone age. A recent viral video has exposed the shocking state of roads outside Google’s Bengaluru office—riddled with potholes, broken footpaths, and dangerous craters.
Civic Opposition of India, describes the situation in one word: "Unsafe."
They point out a glaring disparity: "What should be the pride of Bengaluru is getting the least attention from the authorities. The further you go, the worse it gets."
This isn't just about aesthetics; it is a safety hazard for thousands of techies who drive innovation but are forced to walk on broken debris. We urge the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) to look beyond the glass facades and fix the ground reality.
Read full article here! #Bengaluru #TechCity #CivicOpposition #GoogleBengaluru #Infrastructure #RoadSafety #UrbanPlanning
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News
CA
Civic Admin
19 Sept
Bengaluru
Pride of Bengaluru" or Crumbling Infrastructure?
A recent report by Curly Tales has sparked a necessary conversation about the state of our city's infrastructure. The road outside the Google office—often cited as the "Pride of Bengaluru"—is currently defined by broken footpaths and dangerous encroachments. Civic Opposition of India (previously Citizens Movement) believes this is symptomatic of a larger governance failure. According to them, "When the roads leading to global tech giants are described as 'really pathetic' by citizens, it damages 'Brand Bengaluru' far more than any policy change. We need basic walkability, not just high-rise glass facades."
We demand that the municipal authorities address these safety hazards immediately. Coverage
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Drive
CA
Civic Admin
12 Dec 2024
Chikkanayakanahalli, Bengaluru
A Historic Win: When Citizens Threaten to Stop Tax, Leaders Pay from Their Pockets!
For nearly six years, the residents of Halanayakanahalli (off Sarjapur Road) struggled with a broken road filled with 250 potholes. Repeated pleas to the PWD and elected representatives went unheard.
But when the Citizens Movement East Bengaluru mobilized residents to threaten a Property Tax Boycott, the impact was immediate.
In an unprecedented move, 15 members of the Halanayakanahalli Panchayat paid nearly Rs 5 Lakh from their own pockets to fix the road!
Mithilesh Kumar, Founder of Civic Opposition of India, hails this as a definitive proof of concept: "This victory shows that collective bargaining works. When citizens stand united and say #NoRoadNoTax, the system is forced to respond. We applaud volunteer Arif Mudgal and the residents for holding their ground."
This is not just a road repair; it is a lesson in democracy.
#Bengaluru #CitizenPower #Halanayakanahalli #CivicOpposition #NoRoadNoTax #Accountability #SarjapurRoad
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