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The Hindu
17-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Bengaluru citizen activists, experts come down heavily on GBG Act
Citizen activists and experts have voiced strong opposition to the newly enforced Greater Bengaluru Governance (GBG) Act 2024, calling it a direct threat to the constitutional mandate for decentralised urban local governance. They argued that the GBGA, which came into effect on May 15 this year, centralises power under the State government and sidelines the principles of the 74th Constitutional Amendment. At a seminar hosted by CIVIC (Citizen Voluntary Initiative for the City) on Saturday, former IAS officer and decentralisation advocate T.R. Raghunandan condemned the Act for placing authority in the hands of the Chief Minister, instead of enabling elected urban local bodies to function independently. 'This Act flies in the face of the Nagarapalika framework, which explicitly advocates for local self-government,' he said. Echoing his concerns, Kathyayini Chamaraj, civic activist, emphasised that the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had already been stripped of substantial powers and that the GBG Act further reduces local officials to an advisory role, weakening accountability and grassroots governance. Satyajit Arikutharam, former Chief Technical Advisor at DULT, warned that opaque infrastructure decisions—such as a car-only underground tunnel—highlight the risk of elite-centric planning under the new regime. 'Future generations will bear the financial burden of projects that serve a privileged few,' he said. While Mr. Raghunandan advocated for the division of Bengaluru into smaller administrative units to aid decentralisation, Ms. Chamaraj warned this could lead to financial inequality between zones. 'Prosperous areas like Mahadevapura would retain their revenues, leaving others underfunded,' she cautioned. CIVIC plans to legally challenge the Act to restore democratic and accountable governance to the city.
Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
New municipalities under Greater Bengaluru Authority to disrupt reservation rotations, undermine equity: Former IAS T R Raghunandan
Retired IAS officer T R Raghunandan Saturday warned that frequent delimitation and formation of new municipalities under the newly formed Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) will disrupt reservation rotations for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and women candidates. 'Their (government's) aim is to prevent rotation of reservation from proceeding logically,' he said, claiming that such tactics violate the 74th Constitutional Amendment's equity mandates. He made the remark while speaking at a seminar organised by CIVIC Bangalore on the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act (GBGA). Raghunandan also urged Bengaluru to adopt the 'Manila and Brussels model', stating that decentralised municipalities with clear roles foster accountability. He, thereafter, argued that frequent delimitation creates new electoral cycles, allowing political actors to dilute the representation of marginalised groups. Raghunandan further noted that GBGA's devolution of 18 subjects is 'vague and ineffective', pointing out the lack of specific tasks for representatives. 'That means nothing,' he said, criticising the 'PowerPoint knowledge' approach that renders corporations symbolic. He stressed the need for precise role delineation to counter bureaucratic resistance and ensure functional governance. Raghunandan also flagged centralised control, with the GBA's state-appointed officials and initiatives like Smart City Private Limited bypassing elected bodies, creating 'elected monarchies'. Calling devolution a 'political battle,' Raghunandan urged engagement with ex-corporators to counter elite dominance. 'Karnataka's Panchayat Raj empowered marginalised groups through clear roles, but urban governance lags. The GBA needs to be challenged by ex-corporators' engagement to fight elite dominance. Devolution is a political battle requiring accountability to ensure Bengaluru's corporations serve all communities equitably,' he said. Kathyayini Chamaraj, Executive Trustee, CIVIC Bangalore, argued that the recently passed GBGA undermines the 74th Constitutional Amendment by centralising control under the state-led Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), headed by the chief minister. She then contended, 'The state, not BBMP, failed by delaying elections for years, weakening local self-governance and depriving citizens of responsive urban governance.' 'Splitting BBMP into seven corporations hinders equitable resource distribution, ignoring Delhi's re-merger lesson. The state's failure to activate the Metropolitan Planning Committee caused Bengaluru's 'ruined' growth, violating the 74th Amendment's mandate for vibrant local self-governance,' Chamaraj said.
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Will it be a bold new B'luru?
Everyone's happy BBMP is being done away with. But not everyone's happy with the extent of devolution of powers Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) is replacing BBMP. Many will celebrate this. BBMP's reputation is so much in mud that most are likely to think any change is better than none. Surely, it can't get worse than what it currently is. One key element of the restructuring – which is the one that has caught the most attention – is that Bengaluru will now be divided into 3 or more parts, and each will have its own municipal authority. Logically, that seems to be in the right direction. It's easier to govern smaller units, which is why around the world, there is a devolution of powers to smaller units. And Bengaluru has grown so rapidly in the past two-three decades that it's impossible to manage it with so much power centralised under a single authority. T R Raghunandan, former IAS officer and consultant on democratic decentralisation, notes that Switzerland has just about half the population of Bengaluru, but maintains 26 cantons (equivalent of states) and 5,500 communes (municipalities). He says dividing Bengaluru is a good idea, and establishes a basis for comparison and 'indeed, constructive rivalry can be fostered through a healthy competitive spirit. ' A major citizen body like Whitefield Rising also regards the development to be in the right direction, and noted that Mahadevapura had been asking for a separate municipality for several years now. BBMP, it said, has lost Bengaluru's trust. 'Accountability and performance issues abound. The current structure, even with the zonal divisions, is so broken that it cannot be fixed by any amount of amendments and fixes. We believe the only way forward is to completely disband this structure and start afresh,' it said in a post on X. It said that 3-5 smaller municipal corporations with each having 100-150 wards for localised decision-making will greatly improve services to the residents. But there are also plenty of civic activists who feel the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act ( GBGA ) has not done the level of local empowerment it should have, and that too much power is still wielded by state-level politicians through the GBA. 'They are creating an apex layer controlled by the state government,' says Sandeep Anirudhan, convenor of Citizen's Agenda for Bengaluru. The state govt, he says, should not be involved in city administration. GBA, he notes, has the power to introduce bylaws and meddle with ward committees. 'GBA will be headed by the chief minister, while the deputy chief minister will serve as the vice chairman of the body of governance, and it will have heads of all parastatals. It is really sad that elected mayors and elected corporations have to be answerable to a bunch of politicians and bureaucrats,' he says. Raghunandan believes Bengaluru needs a coordinating authority. But he doubts whether GBA will meet those requirements. Kathyayani Chamaraj, executive trustee of Civic Bangalore , an NGO that works on urban governance and decentralisation, says citizens have been disempowered by making ward committees mere advisory bodies, with veto powers to the councillors to boot. 'Area Sabhas which enable every voter to participate in the planning and decision-making for his/her area have been done away with totally,' she says. Whitefield Rising also has objected to the veto powers granted to councillors in ward committees. Voice Box SOME SAY IT'S A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, OTHERS WANT COURTS TO INTERVENE TO MAKE IT MORE DEMOCRATIC Breaking up Bengaluru into multiple municipalities appears to be a sensible approach. The quantity isn't the crucial factor; rather, the fundamental concept deserves attention. Several well-administered major cities follow this model. For instance, Manila consists of 17 distinct cities. Brussels operates similarly. Switzerland presents an interesting comparison. Despite having only 8 million inhabitants, compared to Bangalore's 15 million, Switzerland maintains 26 cantons and 5,500 communes. This demonstrates how intensive and localised governance can be effectively implemented. TR Raghunandan But the situation in Karnataka is different. We've too many planning authorities. For every alphabet, you have a planning authority and there is no coordination between them. So, GBA eventually will lead to a mess. There will be dilution of accountability. There will be overlapping of responsibilities and eventually Bengaluru will be governed badly. It is also ridiculous that the CM has downgraded himself to be the chairperson of the GBA. As for taking this matter to court, I doubt it will help because the Constitution does not prohibit a superstructure body. T R Raghunandan, FORMER IAS OFFICER AND INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANT ON DEOCRATIC DECENTRALISATION BBMP is a completely defunct municipality with opaque, corrupt systems. It promotes lawlessness, flouting all sections of the BBMP Act, 2020. There's absolutely no accountability. There is no progress on any front at ward level despite a billion-dollar budget. And for us in Mahadevapura, reaching the BBMP head office for any decision is virtually impossible and there is no transparency. Although the GBGA has several infirmities which need improvement, we feel that this is a step forward by first disbanding BBMP and making three to five smaller corporations or whatever number they come up with, which will bring governance closer to the people. And each corporation will have audited accounts, its own financial statements, and most importantly get to keep their property taxes with the State mandated to balancing the budget for each of the corporations, with the recommendation of the State Finance Commission. Getting RWA ward committee members through a lottery system will give balanced representation. It's only to be seen how all this will work out, but we feel something major like this needs to happen to get a fresh start, because the current system is simply not working. Delimitation should be done asap based on projected current population - not outdated 2011 census, and followed by the much-delayed elections. Anjali Saini , VOLUNTEER , WHITEFIELD RISING A rethink on the entire Act is necessary through a challenge in the courts for the following reasons. The GBGA overturns the very concept of Urban Local Self-Governments (ULSGs), envisioned in the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, as the state government is usurping the power of the local government by creating the state-level body, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), headed by the CM and several state-level ministers, MLAs, MPs, etc, to administer Bengaluru. Kathyayani Chamaraj The GBA, a body without constitutional status, has been given planning powers for Bengaluru, whereas the constitutionally mandated body for planning for Metros, the Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC), has been relegated to the background to merely fulfil a constitutional requirement on paper. Kathyayani Chamaraj, EXECUTIVE TRUSTEE, CIVIC BANGALORE, AN NGO THAT WORKS ON URBAN GOVERNANCE AND DECENTRALISATION In an ideal situation, the higher the number of smaller governable entities, the more efficient the governance would be. But that happens only when there is a sound framework. The govt is avoiding the framework legislated by Parliament. Sandeep Anirudhan We are seeking legal recourse against the Act. Given that this involves constitutional aspects, a PIL in the Supreme Court appears to be the most suitable course of action. Sandeep Anirudhan, CONVENOR-CITIZEN'S AGENDA FOR BENGALURU AND BENGALURU TOWN HALL It seems urban governance is going to be driven by the real estate development lobby in the GBA regime. This will lead to chaos and mayhem in the city. The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) will undermine the yet to be established Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority's (BMLTA) role and responsibilities. BMLTA's main objective is to coordinate, plan and approve transport systems in Bengaluru's metropolitan region. Satya Arikutharam The other main objective is to ensure seamless integration of various public transport modes, including buses, metro and suburban railways, to provide efficient services that encourage citizens to opt for public transport instead of private vehicles. Both these objectives will get diminished as it is unclear whether GBA-planned transport projects will seek BMLTA approval. Overall, instead of empowering local governance, the legislation introduces more bureaucratic and higher-tier govt interfaces. Satya Arikutharam, URBAN MOBILITY EXPERT, BENGALURU BBMP is going through a tectonic shift. It will take some time for GBA to take a complete shape of its own. So the present set-up will continue for some time, according to a circular we received on Friday. Suralkar Vikas Kishore, SPECIAL COMMISSIONER, HEALTH AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY, BBMP
The Hindu
13-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Intense lobbying by MLAs, financial constraints may force State to limit GBA to 709 sq. km
Intense lobbying by legislators and economic constraints may force the State government to limit the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) area to the jurisdiction of the currently functional Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). The Urban Development Department (UDD) will notify the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act (GBGA) 2024 on Thursday with the area of the GBA fixed to 709 sq. km. The operational area of the current civic body is also the same. After the notification, the BBMP, operating under the BBMP Act 2021, will cease to exist and the new corporation on the same nomenclature will come into existence. The State will appoint an Administrator to oversee the splitting of the new cooperation likely into three or five corporations. In March, when the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill was passed in both the houses and sent to the Governor, it was planned to extend the area of the GBA. The government envisioned to include at least 25 booming urban villages on the outskirts of Bengaluru. However, now the State has changed its stance. A former councillor who is in the know about the transition told The Hindu that as soon as the State informed about expansion of the BBMP area, MLAs for Devanahalli, Nelamangala, Ramanagara, Mahadevapura, and other peripheral areas began lobbying to annex some of the areas into the GBA. 'This has put a lot of pressure on the Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar. Mr. Shivakumar thinks it would be hard to accommodate every demand of the MLAs and for now maintaining a similar BBMP would come to his rescue. It has also been informed to the MLAs that after some time the expansion would be carried out,' said the former councillor. He further said: 'Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on the other hand thinks expansion is financially not viable as the State is reeling under economic stress. In the near future, the CM may agree to the expansion.' An expert who is also a stakeholder in the BBMP restructuring, confirming the same, said: 'The present restructuring will happen out of political compulsion and not out of rationale. But this is a temporary as expansion is bound to happen sometime later.' Under the Act, the State has the option to split the BBMP up to seven corporations and this provides ample scope for the government to expand the area, the expert added.
Hindustan Times
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Karnataka to enforce Greater Bengaluru Governance Act on May 15, restructuring BBMP: Report
The Karnataka government will implement the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act (GBGA), 2024, on May 15, ushering in a significant transformation of the city's civic administration, Indian Express reported. The new legislation will replace the existing Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Act of 2021 and lay the groundwork for breaking up the current civic body into multiple corporations. Announcing the move on Friday, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said a formal notification outlining the GBGA's implementation would be issued on May 15, the report added. While the final number of corporations to emerge from the BBMP split has not been confirmed, the Act permits the creation of up to seven. (Also Read: Bengaluru metro stations get AI-powered surveillance, number plate tracking system: Report) Despite the dissolution of the BBMP's current legal structure, a restructured civic body, likely to retain the BBMP name, will continue to manage the city's municipal affairs under the GBGA framework. An administrator will be appointed to oversee the division, with the existing BBMP commissioner expected to stay in charge during the transition period. The Bill received the governor's assent in April after Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot raised queries in March. The government provided clarifications and resubmitted the Bill following its passage in both Houses during the Budget session. As per senior officials, the newly formed Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), to be chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, will have jurisdiction over the existing 709 sq km area of BBMP. The GBA will be responsible for urban planning, administrative coordination, and execution of large-scale infrastructure and mobility projects across Greater Bengaluru. The Act also aims to empower local ward committees and enhance grassroots political accountability, key elements the government says will bring greater efficiency and transparency to urban governance. However, the legislation faced strong resistance in the legislature. BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) members walked out during debates, claiming the Bill violates the 74th Constitutional Amendment, which mandates the devolution of power to urban local bodies. Once the GBGA is notified, the government is expected to begin the process of reorganising Bengaluru's civic framework in earnest.
