Karnataka Governor gives nod to Greater Bengaluru Governance bill

Indian Express

25-04-2025

Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Thursday granted assent to the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, 2024, paving way to replace the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Act, 2020, and restructure Bengaluru's civic administration by splitting the BBMP into up to seven smaller municipal corporations under a Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA).
The Bill proposes the creation of multiple municipal corporations (upto 10) to enhance decentralised governance, improve infrastructure, and ensure participatory and responsive administration.
The GBA, chaired by the Chief Minister, will oversee and coordinate development across these corporations and parastatal agencies. The Bill also aims to empower ward committees and enhance political accountability.
It faced significant opposition during its passage in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and Council. BJP and JD(S) legislators staged walkouts, arguing that it violates the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, which emphasises devolving power to urban local bodies.
Critics claim the Bill centralises authority under the state government, particularly through the GBA, potentially undermining local self-governance.
The Governor had previously returned the Bill on March 26, seeking clarifications due to legal and public interest concerns raised by citizens' groups and urban governance experts. These concerns included potential interference with elected local bodies and insufficient
stakeholder consultation.
The assent is likely to further delay BBMP elections, as the restructuring process will require delimitation and administrative reorganisation. This has raised concerns among local people about prolonged delays in local representation.
The Congress government, however, justifies the breaking of BBMP into smaller corporations for better management of civic services.
Currently, one Mayor oversees the entire Bengaluru, making decision-making slow and less representative and the Congress administration believes that multiple city corporations would allow more localized leadership. The Bill also introduced heritage conservation regulations, categorising buildings into three grades, with different levels of protection.
While the Bill allows the establishment of ward committees and city corporations to have independent budgets, the state government retains the power to appoint or remove commissioners in these corporations, making them dependent on state directors.