Bengaluru CEO fixes broken footpath for ₹2,700 after lack of action from BBMP; sparks debate on ‘DIY governance’

Bengaluru CEO’s post quickly struck a nerve on social media, sparking a fierce debate among taxpayers over the normalisation of “DIY governance” and the persistent breakdown of civic accountability.

A Bengaluru entrepreneur decided to adopt 'founder mode' for his neighbourhood pavement after years of formal complaints, emails, and automated grievance tickets failed to move the civic authorities.

Frustrated by bureaucratic inertia, IIT alumnus and startup CEO Siddharth Dialani took matters into his own hands, privately funding the repair of a battered footpath outside his society in Koramangala.

Taking to X, Dialani shared the before-and-after visuals of the pavement, and laid bare the administrative runaround: “The footpath near my society at Koramangala has been broken for years! I complained to BBMP, sent an email to GBA, raised a ticket and chatted with their WA helpline, but got no response.”

Deciding he had waited long enough, Dialani bypassed municipal channels entirely. He shared that he, “Finally, decided to fix it myself,” adding, “It cost me Rs. 2700 including labour charges and the cement to build a ramp.”

The low-cost intervention yielded immediate results. “Parents with strollers and senior citizens in wheelchairs can use it conveniently now,” Dialani noted.

Turning a 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 to more areas of Bangalore.”

‘Pay taxes, then fix it yourself’: Social media reacts

Dialani’s post quickly struck a nerve on social media, sparking a fierce debate among taxpayers over the normalisation of “DIY governance” and the persistent breakdown of civic accountability.

While several users commended the founder’s proactive civic spirit, many expressed sharp exasperation that citizens have to privately fund public infrastructure despite paying hefty taxes.

“Sad that it has come to this. First pay tax and then also pay from own pocket to build basic civic amenities,” noted one user, while another wryly suggested that such repairs “should be made eligible for a full tax write-off.”

The stark price tag, just ₹2,700, also triggered sarcasm over municipal procurement and execution costs. “In case the government had responded and work was done, it would have been billed at ₹5 lakh minimum,” quipped a user, pointing to typical bureaucratic cost inflation.

However, the post also ignited concerns over civic accountability and legal overreach. Critical voices warned that while individual citizen initiatives solve immediate problems, they risk letting municipal bodies off the hook at scale.

“At hand, this is a good thing. At scale, it raises a harder question: what happens when citizens routinely pay to fix public infrastructure? ...Who remains accountable for why it was broken?” questioned a user.

Another commenter cautioned the founder against legal exposure, noting that modifying public pavements without municipal clearance could leave private citizens vulnerable to liability if accidents occur.

About the Author

Arshdeep Kaur is a Senior Content Producer at Mint, where she reports and edits across national and international politics, business and culture‑adjacent trending stories for digital audience. With five years in the newsroom, she strives to balance the speed and rigor of fast‑moving news cycles and longer, context‑rich explainers. <br><br> Before joining LiveMint, Arshdeep served as a Senior Sub‑Editor at Business Standard and earlier as a Sub‑Editor at Asian News International (ANI). Her experience spans live news flows, enterprise features, and multi‑platform packaging. <br><br> At Mint, she regularly writes explainers, quick takes, and visuals‑led stories that are optimized for search and social, while maintaining the publication’s standards for accuracy and clarity. She collaborates closely with editors and the audience team to frame angles that resonate with readers in India and abroad, and to translate complex developments into accessible, high‑impact journalism. <br><br> Arshdeep's academic training underpins her interest towards policy and markets. She earned an MA in Economics from Panjab University and holds a Post‑Graduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism from the India Today Media Institute (ITMI). This blend of economics and broadcast storytelling informs her coverage of public policy, elections, macro themes, and the consumer‑internet zeitgeist. <br><br> Arshdeep is based in New Delhi, where she tracks breaking developments and longer‑horizon storylines that shape public discourse.

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