Latest news with #GreaterBengaluruGovernanceBill2024
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.
The Hindu
25-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
BBMP enters transition phase as Governor clears Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill
With Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot granting assent to the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill 2024, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has officially entered a transition period. As a first step, the government will define the boundaries of the Greater Bengaluru area. The BBMP will continue to function temporarily until the changes outlined in the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act (GBGA) 2024 are completed. The Act clearly specifies transitional provisions. These provisions ensure continuity during the shift from the earlier legal framework to the newly enacted Act. The provisions state that any rule, order, notification, or appointment made under the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976, or the BBMP Act, 2020, will remain in force after the new Act takes effect, provided they are not inconsistent with its provisions. Existing instruments will be deemed to have been issued under the new Act and will remain valid until amended, replaced, or withdrawn through new measures enacted under the new law. This prevents any legal vacuum and enables the BBMP and related bodies to operate smoothly during the legal transition. It also allows the government to gradually introduce changes under the new Act while preserving governance continuity and administrative stability in Bengaluru's municipal system. What's next Experts suggest it may take eight to nine months to implement changes. The Urban Development Department (UDD) will soon begin this process. The first step is defining the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) area. Currently, the BBMP spans 709 sq km, which will expand under the new structure. V. Ravichandar, a member of the Brand Bengaluru Committee (BBC), said, 'Defining the area for the GBA is the primary step towards implementing the Act.' Estimating population growth Mr. Ravichandar added that the UDD will then need to redraw wards based on census blocks. Estimating population growth from 2011 to 2025 is crucial. The last census was conducted in 2011. Mr. Ravichandar noted, 'A constraint during the creation of the 243 wards was the reliance on Census 2011 data. It's imperative to update this at the census block level to estimate the 2025 population. This ensures new wards are balanced across corporations. Relying solely on 2011 data would render the ward exercise flawed. Updated data, like the latest electoral rolls, can act as proxies for growth indicators across Bengaluru.' Following the redrawing of wards, corporations will be established, and wards assigned accordingly. The government must consider revenue aspects while allocating wards to ensure balanced property tax collection. The UDD may also determine ward reservations in preparation for elections. Once this is done, a draft notification will be issued, inviting public objections before the final notification. Upon final notification, the BBMP in its current form will cease to exist.
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Governor assents Greater Bengaluru Bill, city may come under multiple civic bodies
Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has given his assent to the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill 2024 that was passed in both the Houses of the Legislature, last month. The Bill seeks to improve the quality of life for citizens by instituting a decentralized governance framework. Both Assembly and Council passed the Bill with a set of amendments suggested by the joint house panel. The Governor had earlier returned the Bill to the government seeking certain clarifications. The Congress regime passed the bill to overhaul Bengaluru's civic body, BBMP's governance structure to manage the city's affairs better. The Bill proposes a Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) for supervising and coordinating the greater Bengaluru area. 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now The Bill paves the way for setting up seven separate city municipal corporations in the place of the unwieldy Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). The move is expected to double are municipal area of Bengaluru from the present 708 sq km. The proposed law powers ward committees to become basic units of urban governance and facilitate community participation. Live Events 'This Bill marks a landmark step in reforming Bengaluru's governance model. It decentralizes decision-making, empowers zonal committees, and grants financial and administrative autonomy at the grassroots level. With rapid urban growth and a rising population, Bengaluru needed a tailored governance structure - and this Bill delivers exactly that. It promises greater efficiency, accountability, and a renewed focus on citizen-centric services,' Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad (Congress) said in a post on X. INDUSTRIAL TOWNSHIPS The government's move to expand Bengaluru city area by splitting its civic body BBMP has also sparked fears of independent townships like Electronic City Industrial Township Authority (Elcita) and Bidadi Industrial Area Township Authority falling apart. Elcita has been hailed as a successful experiment in managing industrial suburbs. The body governing the electronic city enjoys municipal as well as taxation powers. The civic body manages the 902-acre industrial township on Bengaluru's outskirts that is home to more than 300 companies including Infosys, TCS, Wipro, Tech Mahindra, and Siemens. Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, speaking on the Bill in the assembly on March 10, regretted helping create Elcita years ago as Urban Development Minister. He called his decision on Elcita a blunder while responding to two BJP MLAs, M Satish Reddy (Bommanahalli) and M Krishnappa (Bengaluru South), both of whom sought inclusion of electronics city into the municipal governance structure of Bengaluru. There were suggestions on social media to leave the independent township authorities out of the proposed seven corporations, and instead bring other industrialised areas such as Srajapura, Jigani and Bidadi under Greater Bengaluru as they are battling woeful infrastructure, having been governed by local gram panchayats. The BJP and its political ally JDS, however, have opposed the move, doubting the intentions of the proposed law.
