‘Shut down IT parks to fix the city’: Bengaluru techie’s viral plea to government sparks heated debate online

“When IT companies on the Outer Ring Road, ITPL, Electronic City, Manyata Tech Park, Bagmane Tech Park, etc., went completely remote for more than a year during Covid, they can do that again if the government mandates it,” he wrote. “Employees are losing productive hours during their commute.”

Calling for urgent action, Shivashankar added, “Invoke the BCP, close the IT parks for a few months, fix the roads and rainwater drains, repair the broken infrastructure, complete the flyover constructions, procure more BMTC buses, fast-track Metro construction. Where there is a will, there is a way. Fix Bengaluru once and for all.” He also tagged Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and the Chief Minister’s Office in his post.

Check out the post:

When IT companies on the Outer Ring Road, ITPL, Electronic City, Manyata Tech Park, Bagmane Tech Park etc. went completely remote for more than a year during Covid, they can do that again if Government mandates them to do so. Employees are losing productive hours during their…

— Amarnath Shivashankar (@Amara_Bengaluru) October 12, 2025

The suggestion divided opinion online. Some users backed the idea, saying a temporary shutdown could finally push the city toward long-term solutions. Others, however, dismissed it as unrealistic.

One user argued, “They won’t because WFO was the demand of the Real Estate mafias. If companies go remote, who will lease the costly infra and why will employees stay in blore with high cost of living.”

Another pointed out the financial roadblock: “Government is not willing to fix things – Because it needs money to fix things and no vendor is ready to work with the current govt due to high possibility of not getting paid by the end of the project.”

A third commenter added that the problem runs deeper, writing, “Fixing Bengaluru needs strong intent first. City requires longterm 10y overhaul plan for roads, drainage, and public transport… Without commitment, temporary measures won’t solve the problem.”

The city’s poor infrastructure has long frustrated not just tech employees but also startup founders and CEOs. Even Zepto’s co-founder recently admitted that his biggest struggle living in Bengaluru is simply getting to the airport – a commute that has come to symbolise the city’s worsening urban chaos.