Latest news with #GreaterBengaluruGovernanceAct2024
News18
16-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
Greater Bengaluru Authority Replaces BBMP As City's Primary Civic Body
Last Updated: Greater Bengaluru Authority has now officially replaced Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike as the city's civic body after the Governor gave assent to the legislation. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) was officially replaced by the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) as the city's primary civic body, as the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act 2024 came into effect. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made the announcement on Thursday about the implementation of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, which replaces the BBMP with the GBA. The Governor's assent to the act effected its implementation. 'From today, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) is coming into effect. The BBMP will no longer exist. The bill was passed in both houses and signed by the Governor. Henceforth, it will be known as Greater Bengaluru. I will be the Chairman of it," Siddaramaiah said yesterday. What Is Greater Bengaluru Governance Act? The new Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024, allows the city to be governed by at least three separate municipal corporations instead of just one, like the BBMP, the government said in a statement. Each municipal corporation will be headed by an elected mayor who will be in charge of a specific zone. All such corporations will operate under a central body called the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA). This centralised body will be responsible for overseeing city-wide planning and coordinating infrastructure efforts across Bengaluru. The GBA was passed by the Karnataka Legislature in February last year. It was brought in to address calls pending for long for better governance in the city which has been facing increasingly rapid population growth, infrastructure problems and environmental concerns. The government had initially planned to expand the city's limits to over 1,000 square kilometres – unlike now under BBMP which covers 709 square kilometres – by including nearby villages; however, according to reports, the plan has been put on hold, maintaining the current BBMP boundaries. The villages around the city limits will continue to be run by gram panchayats. Officials have said that any future expansion of Bengaluru's limits will be done in a planned manner, only after the rules and regulations of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) are fully established. The GBA adopts several provisions from the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority to strengthen transport planning and coordination. It brings together key agencies like BMTC, BMRCL, and BDA, and has the authority to issue binding directives to align municipal and transport functions. Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: May 16, 2025, 23:14 IST
Hindustan Times
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Greater Bengaluru Authority replaces BBMP as city's main civic agency: Here's what it means
The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has officially replaced the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) as the city's primary civic body, following the implementation of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act 2024. On May 15, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced the implementation of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, replacing the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) with the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA). The change took effect after the Governor granted assent to the new governance act. "From today, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) is coming into effect. The BBMP will no longer exist. The bill was passed in both houses and signed by the Governor. Henceforth, it will be known as Greater Bengaluru. I will be the Chairman of it," the CM had said. Also Read: How will Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill impact the real estate sector in the IT capital? The Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024, allows the creation of at least three municipal corporations to govern the city instead of a single municipal body like the BBMP, according to a statement released by the state government. All municipal corporations will be led by an elected mayor responsible for specific zones. These corporations will function under a central authority, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), to ensure cohesive urban planning and infrastructure coordination across the IT capital. The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) Act, passed by the Karnataka Legislature in February 2024, was introduced in response to long-standing demands for governance reform in Bengaluru, a city struggling with rapid population growth, infrastructure challenges, and environmental issues. Unlike the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), which manages a 709-square-kilometre area, the GBA was initially proposed to expand the city's boundaries to over 1,000 square kilometres, incorporating peripheral villages. However, according to a report by the Indian Express, the government has temporarily put these expansion plans on hold, opting to retain the existing BBMP limits for now. Villages outside the current city boundaries will continue to be governed by gram panchayats, preserving the existing rural administrative structure. Officials indicated that any future expansion would be undertaken systematically, following the formalisation of the GBA's regulations. The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) incorporates several provisions from the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority to enhance transport planning and coordination within the Bengaluru Metropolitan Area. It also brings together key agencies, including the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation, Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited, and the Bangalore Development Authority, issuing binding directives to streamline municipal and transport functions. Also Read: Greater Bengaluru Authority replaces BBMP as city's governing body The exact boundaries of the Greater Bengaluru Authority are yet to be defined, but it is expected to cover around 1,000 sq km, compared to BBMP's current over 700 sq km. Experts said this expansion will likely include the merging of adjacent areas and villages into the Bengaluru metropolitan area. For the first time, multiple key agencies responsible for Bengaluru's infrastructure and services—including the Bengaluru Development Authority, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation, among others, are expected to be brought under one umbrella with the formation of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA). Urban experts said this integrated structure aims to enable more cohesive urban planning and smoother coordination across departments, addressing the long-standing issue of fragmented governance in the city. For the real estate sector, expanding Bengaluru's limits is likely to boost property prices, especially in the outskirts, experts said. "Such a redefinition will naturally impact real estate. Areas surrounding Bengaluru will likely see a rise in land prices as they begin to be officially identified as part of the city. This will create a ripple effect, especially in peri-urban areas, where land values are already high in anticipation," Srinivas Alavilli, fellow, Integrated Transport and Road Safety, WRI India, said. Experts warn that although the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) aims to expand the city's administrative scope, it could risk undermining crucial urban planning functions, particularly the integration of land use and transportation systems. 'Take Whitefield, for instance. Development happened without coordinated transport planning, and now the area faces major traffic and connectivity issues,' said Satya Arikutharam, former chief technical advisor to the state government and now an independent consultant. 'Although the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) was established to bridge such planning gaps, the GBA could potentially sideline its role. Integrating transport and land use is key to sustainable growth, but that priority seems to be missing from the current proposal,' he said.
The Hindu
29-04-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Greater Bengaluru Authority area to span up to 1,000 sq. km as State govt. begins restructuring works
The State government is preparing to bring several peripheral villages under the newly proposed Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), potentially expanding the civic area up to 1000 sq. km. This expansion would mark a major step in urban integration, significantly increasing the jurisdiction beyond the current 709 sq. km governed by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). According to official sources, multiple meetings have taken place in recent days involving senior bureaucrats and members of Brand Bengaluru Committee to discuss the delineation of GBA's boundaries. These meetings were held days after Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot gave his assent to the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill 2024, the legislation aimed at restructuring metropolitan governance. As part of the restructuring, the State government is also considering dividing the BBMP into between three and five municipal corporations, aiming to decentralise administration and improve delivery of civic services. Talking to The Hindu, a source who attended a key planning meeting held on Monday revealed that the proposed GBA area would fall between the current limits of the BBMP and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), which presently oversees planning across 1219 sq. km. With Bengaluru experiencing rapid expansion driven by inward migration and large-scale investments, many outlying villages have effectively become part of the city's continuous urban sprawl. The government plans to bring at least 25 of these villages under GBA's administrative ambit to harness their revenue potential and provide them with better urban infrastructure. Under the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act 2024, the GBA will assume the role of the local planning authority for the designated area. While the BDA will continue to function, its role will shift to supporting planning assessments and providing expert inputs under the broader GBA framework. Final approval of all planning proposals will rest with the Bengaluru Metropolitan Planning Committee (BMPC)—the apex metropolitan planning body. To accommodate GBA's expanded role, the BMPC's jurisdiction will also be broadened, covering a significantly larger area to be formally notified by the State government. This area will include the limits of the newly formed GBA and possibly more regions depending on future urban development needs. The demarcation of boundaries for the GBA and the new corporations will take into account multiple factors such as population density, existing infrastructure, and revenue potential. A careful delimitation of wards is also being planned to ensure balanced resource distribution and to mitigate fiscal disparities between the proposed corporations.
