Bengaluru’s road to GBA marks the end of BBMP

In a significant move, the Greater Bengaluru Authority is set to replace Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, the 17-year-old civic administration of the state capital

Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is set to be replaced by a new governance framework, marking a significant transformation in the city's civic administra tion. Effective September 2, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) will take over, with a focus on decentralising power and improving citizen access to government services.

“The restructuring is aimed at making municipal administration closer to citizens,” Munish Moudgil, BBMP Special Commissioner (Rev enue), told News Trail. The GBA, formally established on August 26, is a 75-member body chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and co-chaired by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.

This new authority aims to streamline governance by bringing ministers, MPs, MLAs, and heads of various civic agencies onto a single platform. BBMP Chief Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao will serve as the GBA’s Chief Commissioner and member-secretary.

Under the new system, Bengaluru will be divided into five municipal corporations, each with its own commissioner. Bengaluru Central will be based at Hudson Circle, while Bengaluru North will have its headquarters in Yelahanka. Bengaluru South will function from Jayanagar, Bengaluru East from Mahadevapura, and Bengaluru West from RR Nagar.

Each of these new corporations will function with its commissioner and will be assisted by a joint commissioner for revenue and two chief engineers overseeing key infrastructure like roads and lakes. Following the transi tion, a delimitation commission will be formed on September 3 to redefine ward boundaries, a process expected to be completed by early November.

“The staff from the existing BBMP wards will be redistributed among the new corporations, so there is no cause for concern,” said Moudgil.

However, the city, which previously had a single corporation with 198 wards, has long been grappling with severe staff crunch. With the city now being divided into five corporations- Central, North, East, South, and West- the demand for personnel is expected to rise even further.