Businessman and columnist Suhel Seth slammed the state of civic governance in Gurugram in a recent discussion hosted by The Indian Express in Delhi. Seth called the city “a shame on this country,” and added how the city has become a shocking example of administrative failure, despite being just 20 kilometres from New Delhi.
“Every year, without government help, we create a Venice for people to enjoy. We litter the streets with garbage to show the egalitarian spirit of Gurugram,” Seth said. He added, “We have more liquor vends than functioning traffic lights. We have more bars than we have schools.”
Suhel Seth’s criticism against Gurugram
Seth called for urgent and decisive intervention, saying the city needed a “non-hostile takeover” to ensure basic governance. “You can’t have smart cities with unsmart leaders. You have a Chief Minister who is totally inept. You have a municipal commissioner who is totally absent,” he said. Former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, who was a part of the panel, also spoke of Gurugram’s financial significance. “Gurugram pays more taxes to Haryana than all other cities combined. If this city cannot be maintained, it is a clear governance failure,” he said.
Response from the government
Seth wrote on X that he has received two calls from authorities and changes can be seen soon. He wrote, “Credit where credit is due: received two calls: one from @RajeevJaitly and the other from @PradeepIAS_HR:both have stated that the Haryana CM @NayabSainiBJP is seized of the issues pertaining to Gurgaon and action has begun and a change will be seen soonest.@IndianExpress.”
Two hours of rain claim 8 lives across Gurugram
Meanwhile, this month, a brief but intense two-hour spell of rain in July exposed the glaring gaps in Gurugram’s urban infrastructure, leaving at least eight people dead. The fatalities were caused by a series of rain-related incidents, including electrocution, drowning, open manholes, and road accidents. The downpour triggered widespread flooding across the city, choking drains, disrupting traffic, and sparking renewed criticism of civic authorities. Residents woke up to submerged roads, overflowing sewage lines, and gridlocked traffic, with many questioning how a city marketed as India’s “Millennium City” could be brought to a halt by a predictable monsoon shower.
What is Gurugram’s real estate future?
Amid discussions on social media claiming that Gurugram is “crashing,” some experts are pushing back, arguing that the city is, in fact, booming. Ankit Chadha, Director at MNB Buildfab, said on The Real Better Podcast that Gurugram remains one of India’s fastest-growing urban hubs, with many people from Delhi and other parts of NCR are now moving to Gurugram. “People are now moving from Delhi to Gurugram, and it is one of the fastest-growing cities in India,” Chadha said. He dismissed concerns of decline by pointing to major global developers like Oberoi and Prestige entering the market, along with reports of a Disney Land project coming up in Manesar. According to Chadha, Gurugram is now positioning itself as India’s next Tier-1 city—potentially rivaling Mumbai and Bengaluru in the years to come. He also claimed that Golf Course Road as an emerging hotspot that could become a major centre of attraction in the near future.
Netizens react…
The video that went viral received a lot of comments across social media platforms. A user wrote, “we are in the era, when citizens will tell the government their issues and government leaders will laugh on it like it was a joke. janta hi bhai ki l*di hai kyuki they arnethe people who elect them.” “Why is being Asked questions in Gurgaon anyway. What can he anyway do? He’s right, he can’t comment, what he should’ve mentioned is about what should be done to improve any city. He just laughed it off, which makes it feel the joke is on us,” added another.
“The worst part? People just accept it now. “Arey Gurgaon hai yaar, hota hai.” As if bad infrastructure is some weather phenomenon we should just live with. And don’t even start on the builder areas .. overpriced homes with no proper sewage. You pay crores and get a free swimming pool in your parking every June July. Cheers to that,” noted a netizen.