Do you feel disappointed with the way things have gone in Bangalore after you demitted office?

In a transition, sometimes there is uncertainty for a while. It can also bring, sometimes, disillusionment.

Do you feel that what Bangalore is going through is associated with a transition? Or is somebody trying to undo your work?

I will give it a liberal interpretation and say these are pangs of transition.

The transition pangs you speak of -- do you think it has worked against Bangalore and that the city has lost the edge it enjoyed as the country's technology hub?

These are highly exaggerated versions of what's going wrong and what's not going right. But…

Mr Premji…

Mr Premji issued a statement even when I was there.

Mr Nandan Nilekani came out with a very strong statement.

Well…

Mr Nilekani was part of the Bangalore Agenda Task Force you created.

The government ought to have taken note of the tremendous work the Bangalore Agenda Task Force had turned out. It brought about an awareness among citizens, civil society, their responsibilities about their city. The government should have given the prominence that was necessary. It should have continued to support them.

We find Mumbai undergoing similar change. There is talk of converting it into another Shanghai. Demolitions are going on. What do…

Mumbai cannot afford to have 60 percent slums. Forget about Shanghai, if you want a reasonably good city, presentable city, slum development work must go on. Yes, land availability is limited.

There is a human angle to it. Mumbai is very welcoming. Immigrants come here. How do you change the city's character?

You cannot resort to extreme measures. Some years back, there was talk of giving people coming to Mumbai a worker's permit. These are extreme measures which in a civil society cannot be taken. But, there is a need to check the influx of people.

The trend has been -- not only here but all over the world -- that rural area people move towards urban centres. For that to stop) you should develop rural areas so that moving into urban centres is less attractive.

Did you face similar problems in Bangalore?

Yes, we did. I supported my officers. Land belonging to the corporation, land belonging to the Bangalore Development Authority was encroached upon. Without a valid license buildings sprung up. That is something no government can let happen.

Whenever such things came to the notice of my government a proper notice was given; the matter was examined; a proper hearing was given. Big buildings were demolished. Yes, there was a hue and cry.

Photograph: Jewella C Miranda

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