Bengaluru startup founder flags alleged bribe demands in road-cutting permission to get water connection

Representational picture. @bengalurupost1

• Bengaluru start-up founder claims bribe demands for water, road services
• Bribe rates doubled during approval process, sparking online criticism
• BWSSB and civic officials unavailable for comment on the allegations

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A Bengaluru-based start-up founder has flagged alleged bribe demands by civic authorities while applying for a BWSSB water connection and road-cutting permission on January 20.

In a post on social media platform X, Ravichandra Reddy, co-founder of Mobiikey and Lokram Technologies, said he had applied for a BWSSB water connection for a multi-house building, but the alleged bribe rates doubled as the process progressed, forcing him to arrange funds through EMIs.

According to Reddy, since the water pipeline was located on the opposite side of the road, the contractor coordinating the connection approached officials for road-cutting permission. He alleged that the official demand draft for road cutting could amount to around Rs 80,000, along with an additional bribe of Rs 20,000. Alternatively, an “unofficial” route was offered at Rs 40,000, with the condition that he would have to restore the road at his own cost.

“This is just for road-cutting permission for a water connection that has already been approved,” Reddy said in the post.

Greater Bengaluru Authority commissioner M Maheshwar Rao told Moneycontrol: “Strict action will be taken against anyone demanding a bribe. Citizens can call 1533 for pending road-cutting applications under Sakala Services Act. Bribery complaints should be filed with Upa Lokayukta. Road digging is regulated through MARCS (Multi-Agency Road Cutting System), an online, single-window system.”

In a subsequent post, Reddy clarified that he had not paid the amount. “That’s the demand just for road cutting. Water connection is a government service through which the state also earns revenue. But this BBMP demand just shocked me,” he wrote.

The post triggered reactions from several users on X, who criticised the civic approval process.

Urban expert Ashwin Mahesh said connecting pipelines to legal buildings is the government’s responsibility. “BWSSB has had a very poor record over the years and needs to be cleaned up,” he said.

Another user, posting under the handle Kowalski, said road-cutting permission was being used “only to harass and extract bribes,” adding that BWSSB owns and operates the pipeline and is responsible for providing connections.

The episode comes months after logistics tech platform BlackBuck co-founder Rajesh Yabaji, in September 2025, said he had decided to move out of Bengaluru’s Outer Ring Road, citing long commute times- remarks that had sparked widespread debate over the city’s deteriorating infrastructure.

Also, read: BlackBuck CEO’s post on Bengaluru’s crumbling Outer Ring Road jolts Karnataka into action