Karnataka Governor gives nod to Greater Bengaluru Governance bill

The GBA, chaired by the Chief Minister, will oversee and coordinate development across these corporations and parastatal agencies. The Bill also aims to empower ward committees and enhance political accountability.

It faced significant opposition during its passage in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and Council. BJP and JD(S) legislators staged walkouts, arguing that it violates the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, which emphasises devolving power to urban local bodies.

Critics claim the Bill centralises authority under the state government, particularly through the GBA, potentially undermining local self-governance.

The Governor had previously returned the Bill on March 26, seeking clarifications due to legal and public interest concerns raised by citizens’ groups and urban governance experts. These concerns included potential interference with elected local bodies and insufficient
stakeholder consultation.

The assent is likely to further delay BBMP elections, as the restructuring process will require delimitation and administrative reorganisation. This has raised concerns among local people about prolonged delays in local representation.

The Congress government, however, justifies the breaking of BBMP into smaller corporations for better management of civic services.

Currently, one Mayor oversees the entire Bengaluru, making decision-making slow and less representative and the Congress administration believes that multiple city corporations would allow more localized leadership. The Bill also introduced heritage conservation regulations, categorising buildings into three grades, with different levels of protection.

While the Bill allows the establishment of ward committees and city corporations to have independent budgets, the state government retains the power to appoint or remove commissioners in these corporations, making them dependent on state directors.