Viral post sparks outrage over Bengaluru's corrupt housing approvals, draws global comparison with Australia

A Bengaluru resident’s viral post comparing India’s corrupt building approval system with Australia’s transparent process triggers public outcry and shared frustrations online.

A viral post on social media has once again thrown a harsh spotlight on the rampant corruption and inefficiencies in Bengaluru’s housing and civic approval system. The post, originally shared on X, compares the prolonged struggle of building a house in India with the streamlined, transparent process in Australia, igniting a storm of online responses from frustrated citizens.

ಒಬ್ಬ ಗೆಳೆಯ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ತನ್ನ ಸೈಟಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಮನೆ ಕಟ್ಟಿಸುವ ಯೋಜನೆ ಹಾಕಿದ. ಖಾತೆ ಮಾಡಿಸಿ ಪ್ಲಾನ್ ಮಾಡಿಸಿ ಪ್ಲಾನ್ ಬಿಬಿಎಂಪಿ ಕಡೆಯಿಂದ ಪೂರ್ಣ ಅನುಮತಿ ಇನ್ನು ಸಿಕ್ಕಿಲ್ಲ. ಲಕ್ಷಾಂತರ ಲಂಚ, ಅಡೆತಡೆಗಳು ಇದ್ದೇ ಇವೆ.
ಸುಮಾರು ಅದೇ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಆಸ್ಟ್ರೇಲಿಯಾದಲ್ಲಿ ಮತ್ತೊಬ್ಬ ಗೆಳೆಯ ಸೈಟು ಕೊಂಡು ಮನೆ ಕಟ್ಟಿ ಹೊಸ ಮನೆಗೆ ಹೋಗಿದ್ದೂ ಆಯಿತು.…

— Amarnath Shivashankar (@Amara_Bengaluru) August 2, 2025

According to the post, a Bengaluru resident, despite owning land and submitting all necessary documents, faced repeated delays and bribe demands running into lakhs while trying to get approvals from BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike). Meanwhile, a friend in Australia reportedly purchased land, built a home, and moved in, all within the same time frame.

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The post ends with a stark reflection: “We all have pride in our country and our city, but in reality, the corruption we face knows no end. The common people are fed up.”

The tweet quickly went viral, drawing hundreds of responses from citizens who echoed similar experiences. One user wrote, “If you don’t pay bribes, your file doesn’t move. They’ll either delay or reject it without reason.”

Others criticized the lack of clarity in building regulations, with one noting that “officials use vague bylaws and impractical setback rules as tools to extract bribes.” Another pointed out, “They want 5.4 ft setbacks in front, 3 ft on the sides, wasting space and making construction unaffordable.”

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Further compounding the problem, users highlighted issues like the halt in new electricity connections, which has stalled industrial units and home projects across the city. Officials cite court orders, but citizens claim this is being used as another tool for extortion.