Apr 11 2026 to Apr 11 2026 11 a.m.

Where

Bangalore International Centre

7 4th Main Rd, Stage 2, Domlur 560071

Event Description

The third edition of The Bengaluru Debates asks whether radical transparency on budgets, spending, and outcomes, can rebalance accountability and reshape how the city is governed.

Experts estimate that over ₹38,000 crore was spent on the city in 2021–22, however no single, consolidated view of that expenditure exists. Citizens experience the consequences daily: traffic, flooding, water stress. Yet, we have no clear way to see how much is being spent, by whom, and where. Nearly 80% of capital investment is undertaken by parastatal agencies with no direct accountability to the city government, even as citizens hold the city responsible for outcomes.  

Opening with a short context-setting, the session will move into a panel discussion between Padmanabha Reddy, Former Leader of Opposition and BBMP Corporator, Kacharakanahalli; Abdul Wajid, President – Bengaluru North District Congress Committee and Former Leader of Opposition & BBMP Corporator; and Meera K, Co-founder and Trustee at Oorvani Foundation.  Moderated by Srikanth Viswanathan, CEO, Janaagraha.

The discussion will be followed by an audience Q&A.

The Bengaluru Debates: A BIC–Janaagraha Dialogue Series on Urban Governance in Bengaluru and Beyond aims to expand civic space in the city by fostering conversations through a civic lens. The series is designed to be informative, constructive, and entertaining, while also serving as a trigger for local community action. Its objective is to bridge the gap between policy, practice, and public discourse on urban governance challenges, and to catalyse citizen and policymaker engagement towards systemic solutions.

In collaboration with:

Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy, founded in 2001 in Bengaluru, is dedicated to transforming the quality of life in India’s cities and towns. Their mission is to strengthen the systems of urban governance so that cities can deliver clean, green, safe, and liveable environments for all citizens. For them, “quality of life” is not only about infrastructure and services, but equally about responsive institutions, citizen engagement, and transparent, data-driven governance.

Speakers

Padmanabha Reddy
Former Corporator, Ward No. 29, Kacharakanahalli
Mr. Padmanabha Reddy is a four-term Corporator representing Ward No. 29, Kacharakanahalli, and served as the Leader of the Opposition in the BBMP from 2015 to 2019. He has also held the position of Chairman of the Tax, Finance and Appeals Committee, contributing to key decisions on municipal finance and governance.

First elected in 1997, Mr. Reddy has been consistently re-elected, reflecting sustained public support for his work at the ward level. Over the years, he has led the transformation of Kacharakanahalli into a well-developed urban locality, with improvements in roads, sanitation, drainage systems, water supply, and public infrastructure. His work has been recognised by citizen groups, including being named “Corporator No. 1” by Citizens for Bengaluru. His approach to public life has focused on service delivery, local accountability, and strengthening basic urban infrastructure to improve everyday quality of life for residents.

Abdul Wajid
President, District Congress Committee (DCC), Bengaluru North
Mr. Abdul Wajid is the President of the District Congress Committee (DCC), Bengaluru North, and a former Corporator representing Ward 33 in the BBMP. He has held key leadership roles within the city’s municipal governance, including serving as both Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Ruling Party in the BBMP.

With extensive experience in Bengaluru’s civic administration, Mr. Wajid has been actively engaged in addressing urban challenges at the ward and city levels. His work has focused on improving basic service delivery, strengthening local governance, and representing citizen concerns within the municipal system. Known for his on-ground engagement and political experience across both opposition and governance roles, he brings a practical perspective on how city institutions function and where they fall short in meeting citizens’ needs.

Meera K
Co-founder & Trustee, Oorvani Foundation
Ms. Meera K is the Co-founder and Trustee of Oorvani Foundation, a non-profit focused on strengthening civic engagement and urban communities. She co-founded Citizen Matters, an award-winning civic media platform that covers critical urban issues, and initiated Open City, a civic-tech platform that enables access to urban data.

An Ashoka Fellow, Ms. Meera has been recognised for building open knowledge platforms that empower citizens to collaborate and improve their cities. She is also a former ICFJ Knight Fellow and a recipient of the Gene Burd Award for Excellence in Urban Journalism (2025), reflecting her contributions to strengthening public discourse on urban governance.

Srikanth Viswanathan
Chief Executive Officer, Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy
Srikanth Viswanathan is Chief Executive Officer of Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy, where he steers the organisation’s strategy and oversees its programmes on city-systems reform across India. Srikanth has led pioneering initiatives in municipal finance, urban planning, and local governance. Under his leadership, Janaagraha has positioned itself as a thought leader on strengthening urban local bodies, shaping policy conversations on property tax reform, municipal bonds, participatory budgeting, and decentralised governance. He has been closely engaged with state and city governments, finance commissions, and multilateral institutions to embed systemic reforms in urban governance.

An advocate for strengthening India’s city-systems, Srikanth writes and speaks extensively on the future of India’s cities, emphasising the need for empowered local governments to deliver better quality of life for citizens and enhance economic competitiveness.