P Chidambaram Says Bengaluru’s Road Woes Stem From Poor Execution, Not Lack Of Funds
Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP P. Chidambaram has weighed in on the ongoing debate surrounding Bengaluru’s crumbling civic infrastructure, after reports surfaced that Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw had offered to fund the repair and development of certain roads in the city.
Welcoming what he described as a “great offer,” Chidambaram nevertheless argued that the true problem with India’s public works lies not in a shortage of funds, but in the poor execution and lack of accountability that often plague government projects.
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“I noted with interest Mrs Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw’s offer to fund the development of some roads in Bengaluru. A great offer! Congratulations! But the problem with our public works is not the lack of public money; the problem is in the execution of the public work,” Chidambaram wrote in a social media post on Wednesday.
I noted with interest Mrs Kiran Mazumdar Shaw’s offer to fund the development of some roads in Bengaluru. A great offer! Congratulations!
BUT, the problem with our public works is not the lack of public money; the problem is in the execution of the public work
Governments can…
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) October 22, 2025
Proposing a novel approach to address the issue, the former Finance Minister suggested that governments could invite private sector leaders like Mazumdar-Shaw to play a supervisory role in public infrastructure projects.
According to his idea, public funds and tenders could continue as usual, but once a contractor is selected, they would work under the direct oversight of a company or industrialist willing to take responsibility for ensuring quality and timely completion.
“The contractor will execute the public work (say, road). However, the supervising company or industrialist will be responsible for the quality and timely execution of the work.
Any penalties or cost overruns will be borne by the supervising company or industrialist,” Chidambaram elaborated, adding that cities like Chennai or Bengaluru could serve as ideal testing grounds for such a model.
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However, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has publicly denied making any offer to fund road repairs. The Biocon chief, a leading voice in India’s corporate community, has recently been engaged in a tense online exchange with Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar over the condition of Bengaluru’s roads.
Shaw’s social media criticism of the state’s civic management last week had drawn sharp reactions from top Congress leaders, with Shivakumar suggesting that she had “forgotten her roots” and accusing her of having a “personal agenda”—a claim she categorically denied.
Reports later claimed that the Deputy Chief Minister was open to accepting Shaw’s supposed offer to help fund road development, stating that the government would cooperate with her on such an initiative.
Meanwhile, Shaw met Shivakumar in person on Tuesday, reportedly to invite him to her nephew’s wedding. According to the Deputy Chief Minister, their conversation extended beyond the invitation, touching on Bengaluru’s growth trajectory, innovation potential, and Karnataka’s broader development story.
