BENGALURU: The state cabinet on Monday approved the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, 2024, which aims to restructure Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) by splitting it into up to 10 corporations and increasing the number of wards from 225 to 400.
The bill, which is expected to be tabled in the ongoing session of the legislature, proposes significant changes to the administration of Bengaluru. Opposition BJP has expressed its disapproval of the proposal to create multiple corporations for Bengaluru.
The approved bill is a watered-down version of the draft prepared by a four-member committee led by former chief secretary BS Patil.
Notably, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), an apex body proposed in the bill, will not possess local planning powers, which will remain with Bangalore Development Authority (BDA).
The Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, 2024, aims to establish a three-tier governance structure to enhance administrative efficiency. It proposes the creation of GBA to oversee planning, coordination, and supervision of development across the Greater Bengaluru Area, spanning approximately 1,400 square kilometres. Additionally, multiple city corporations will be formed to ensure effective, participatory, and responsive governance.
Under the new structure, ward committees will operate at the lowest level, with municipal corporations at the second tier, governed by GBA. The chief minister and the Bengaluru development minister will chair this setup. GBA will manage overall planning, coordinate municipal corporations’ activities, administer major infrastructure projects, and ensure accountability of parastatal authorities. During Siddaramaiah’s earlier tenure as CM, there was a move to trifurcate BBMP, but the initiative was defeated in the Legislative Council.
In 2019, BJP proposed a bureaucratic decentralisation under a single corporation.
However, these moves at restructuring the civic body notwithstanding, no polls have been held in the last four years due to disagreements over delimitation and decentralisation, resulting in numerous petitions pending before the Karnataka high court and Supreme Court.
The BBMP council’s term ended in Sept 2020, with the number of wards initially set at 198. In July 2022, BJP increased this to 243, which was opposed by Congress.
