'Huge failure of governance': Amitabh Kant, Suhel Seth critique Gurugram's civic decline
The panel underscored broader concerns over urban governance in India, especially in high-revenue, high-potential cities like Gurugram, which are increasingly under pressure to deliver on infrastructure, livability, and brand value.
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A panel discussion hosted by The Indian Express in New Delhi sparked sharp criticism of the state of governance in Gurugram, with former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant and communications consultant Suhel Seth calling out the city’s deteriorating civic infrastructure and lack of administrative accountability.
Highlighting the economic importance of Gurugram, Kant remarked, “Gurugram today pays more taxes to the state of Haryana than all the other cities combined. And if you can't maintain Gurugram, there's a huge failure of governance. Now we need to fix this right.”
Kant’s comments came in response to Suhel Seth’s scathing critique of the city. “Gurugram is an absolute shame on this country,” Seth said. “Twenty kilometers from here, without any government involvement, every year we create a Venice for people to enjoy. We litter the streets with garbage to show the egalitarian spirit of Gurugram.”
Seth further suggested that the city suffers from chronic administrative neglect: “We have more liquor vents than functioning traffic lights. We have more bars than we have schools.” Urging for decisive intervention, he said, “Just take it over in a non-hostile takeover, so that there is some level of governance. Because Amitabh is right. You can't have smart cities with unsmart leaders.”
Criticizing the leadership in Haryana, Seth added, “You have a chief minister who is totally inept. You have a municipal commissioner who is totally absent. If you want brand India to succeed, every element of brand India must work. You cannot have partial pregnancy and partial brand building.”
As the discussion drew strong opinions, the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Vinai Kumar Saxena, who was also present, responded with a light-hearted quip: “I can't comment on what's happening. But Mr. Suhel, it looks like you're going to take my job.”
The panel underscored broader concerns over urban governance in India, especially in high-revenue, high-potential cities like Gurugram, which are increasingly under pressure to deliver on infrastructure, livability, and brand value.
