Citizen interface with the government is usually at the level of local bodies, particularly for public services, not with state governments, though state governments have a co-ordinating role across various organisations (municipal corporation, power, Bangalore Development Authority, water supply and sewerage, transport, police, telecom) that deliver public services. One gets the sense that the government which exited in 2007 failed to ensure this and energise BMP/GBMC.

Understandably, Karnataka still scores high on e-readiness indices that rank Indian states. The Bhoomi project (computerisation of land records) and the revamp of property taxation in Bangalore are often cited. But as a World Bank report once said, putting an “e” in front of governance doesn’t necessarily improve governance. Many governance initiatives in Karnataka date to governments prior to May 2004. Since then, governance doesn’t seem to have been a priority. What can be done, and needs to be done, has been documented ad nauseam. All that is required is putting governance back on the agenda. Given what was said earlier about Karnataka’s (and Bangalore’s) growth, citizens deserve better. Improving infrastructure in Bangalore isn’t that difficult, though the payoff period is longer than a politician’s myopic time-horizon of five years.

The origins of the name Bangalore are obscure. It may have had something to do with rocks or guards, but the more common belief is one of boiled beans. The most remembered bean story is about Jack and the beanstalk, where Jack planted some magical beans and eventually killed the giant, with some help from the giant’s wife. There are no magical beans. But there are real beans in Bangalore that can grow into a giant bean-stalk. And we usually don’t remember the first part of the story, where Jack’s mother sent him off to the market to sell a cow. In return for the cow, Jack obtained the five magical beans. There may even be an allegory there about transforming Karnataka from an agricultural to tertiary/secondary economy. Remember, even reforming agriculture in Karnataka is easier than in many other states.

... contd.