Bengaluru bids bye to BBMP, to have five city corporations on Sept 2

Five independent city corporations will replace the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on September 2 as the state government pushes to bring in a major shift in the city governance. The new system will energize the civic administration and lead to better citizen service, Dy chief minister DK Shivakumar said on Sunday.

The Dy CM, who oversees Bengaluru affairs, said all formal notifications will be in place by the end of this month. “Bengaluru is entering a new era of governance from September 2 as the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) comes into force. Five new corporations with dedicated commissioners will bring administration closer to the people. With this decentralization, our city will witness faster development and smoother lives for the people,” he said in a post on X.

The five corporations will cover an area spread over 712 square kilometers serving an estimated population of about 85 lakh citizens. There are several layouts, both private and developed by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) that are outside of BBMP.

The GBA, according to the Dy CM, will give a new shape to Bengaluru’s governance. The city will have exclusive corporations for Bengaluru North, South, East, West and Central, each headed by a commissioner. Each corporation will have two zones which will function like those under the present BBMP.

The ruling Congress celebrated the announcement saying, Bengaluru would get “One Vision, One Leadership.” In a post on X, the party said, “Greater Bengaluru Authority = Faster decisions, stronger accountability, and people-first governance. Mayor with a 30-month term means sustainable solutions for traffic, water, housing & environment.”

The present BBMP has been around since 2007 when the government expanded the jurisdiction of the erstwhile Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) by merging eight urban local bodies and 111 villages around the city.