Bengaluru, March 26 (IANS) Responding to comparisons between Bengaluru and Hyderabad, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, stated that he does not wish to compare Bengaluru, which stands in sixth position as a global tech hub with Hyderabad, which is placed 26th.

Speaking in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday, Dy CM Shivakumar, who also handles the Bengaluru Development portfolio, said, “According to a recent report, Bengaluru is among the top 10 global tech hubs. San Francisco ranks first, followed by London in second place. Bengaluru stands in sixth position, just behind Beijing, which is ranked fifth, while Hyderabad is placed 26th.” “I do not want to compete with Hyderabad,” he added.

Former Deputy Chief Minister, C.N. Ashwath Narayan, intervened, stating that they, too, do not want Bengaluru to be compared with Hyderabad.

“In our country, there is no city that can be compared to Bengaluru. Our request is that, in certain aspects such as cost of living, Hyderabad may be around 50 per cent cheaper, and facilities may be better there. However, the cosmopolitan nature and talent pool available in Bengaluru cannot be found anywhere else. It must be preserved and its growth ensured,” he said.

“In reality, the role of the government in all this is minimal. All governments have neglected Bengaluru. Normally, discussions about Bengaluru do not take place,” Ashwath Narayan added.

At this point, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that Bengaluru attained a special status due to the establishment of public sector industries, as well as educational and academic institutions by successive governments. This later paved the way for the IT revolution, hence, the government had played a significant role in its success.

Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka said that Hyderabad is being used as a point of reference because the media often compares the two cities.

“If you (Shivakumar) choose not to speak about Hyderabad, it may be perceived as being in favour of it. Bengaluru was not built by us; it grew naturally. The interest of Karnataka is paramount, otherwise the matter may take a political turn, especially since the Congress is in power there under Chief Minister Revanth Reddy,” he said.

Shivakumar said, “Bengaluru has given me everything, and I want to contribute. I cannot do it alone; everyone must cooperate. There are 250 engineering colleges and 70 medical colleges in Bengaluru. Nowhere else in the country can you see this. Every year, 13,940 doctors graduate from medical colleges in Karnataka—where are they going? Much of this talent is moving abroad.”

He added that the Prime Minister of the Netherlands had shared with him that the country saved 40 per cent of costs by opting for services from Bengaluru compared to other global cities.

Shivakumar further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently visited Bengaluru and referred to it as a global city. He recalled that former Prime Minister, late Atal Bihari Vajpayee had once observed that there was a time when foreign leaders would first visit Delhi and then travel to other states. “Now, world leaders are coming to Bengaluru first and then going to Delhi,” he said, referring to visits by prime ministers from China, Japan, the United Kingdom, Poland, and other countries within a short span.

“All sections of society, including students and technocrats, have contributed to this growth. Today, Bengaluru has 26 lakh IT professionals. Out of the Fortune 500 companies, around 400 have a presence in Bengaluru. The American Ambassador has requested that Bengaluru develop 10 world-class schools. In California’s Silicon Valley, there are about 1.35 million engineers, whereas Bengaluru has around 26 lakh engineers. This is the strength of Bengaluru,” he said.

–IANS

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