Greater Bengaluru Authority

Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) is the apex body responsible for coordinating and supervising the activities of the city corporations and overall development across 712 km² of Greater Bengaluru (Bengaluru City). It was established on 15 May 2025, replacing the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).^[3]

The GBA oversees the entire Greater Bengaluru Urban Agglomeration, aiming to coordinate planning, transportation, and environmental management at the metropolitan scale.^[4] The GBA has the provision to establish up to seven municipal corporations within the Greater Bengaluru area.

Although the GBA has been officially established, the BBMP continued to function during the transition phase until the new Authority became fully operational on 2 September 2025.^[5]

The idea for the Greater Bengaluru Authority was first proposed by the BBMP Restructuring Committee in 2015, which recommended a three-tier governance model for Bengaluru consisting of multiple municipal corporations, ward committees, and a metropolitan-level planning authority.^[6] The proposal aimed to address administrative inefficiencies and improve urban service delivery in response to the city's rapid population growth and infrastructural strain.

The Government of Karnataka revisited the proposal in 2023 under the "Brand Bengaluru" initiative, seeking public input and expert consultation to restructure the city's governance.^[7] Following this, the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, 2024 was introduced in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly to provide a legal framework for the restructuring.^[8]

The bill was passed in both houses of the Karnataka legislature in March 2025, despite opposition from the Bharatiya Janata Party, Janata Dal (Secular), and civil society groups who raised concerns over the lack of elected representation and potential conflicts with the 74th Constitutional Amendment.^[9]

The Greater Bengaluru Authority officially came into existence on 15 May 2025, replacing the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike as the apex urban governance body for Greater Bengaluru.^[10]

The Greater Bengaluru Authority follows a three-tier governance structure, comprising the Authority at the apex, multiple City Corporations, and Ward Committees. The Authority is chaired by the Chief Minister of Karnataka, with the Minister for Bengaluru Development as Vice-Chairperson, while a Chief Commissioner appointed by the state government serves as the Member Secretary.^[11]

Ex-officio members with voting rights include ministers holding portfolios related to urban development, mayors of the city corporations, and heads of key civic agencies. All elected representatives of the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Legislative Assembly, and State Legislative Council whose constituencies fall wholly or substantially within the Greater Bengaluru Area and who reside within its jurisdiction shall also be members of the Greater Bengaluru Authority.

In addition, the executive heads of the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority, Bengaluru Traffic Police, Karnataka Rail Infrastructure Development Enterprises Limited, Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority, Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority, Karnataka Slum Development Board, and any other officer of a government agency or department entrusted with municipal functions in the Greater Bengaluru Area, as designated by the government, serve as special invitees. These invitees may participate in the meetings of the Greater Bengaluru Authority but do not hold voting rights.^[12][13]

The Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, 2024 provides for the division of the former Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike into up to seven city corporations, each with an elected mayor and council.^[15] Each corporation will be responsible for providing basic civic services within its respective jurisdiction.

As of May 2025, the GBA has not officially demarcated the new Municipal Corporation Boundaries.

Karnataka government notifies draft on setting up five corporations under GBA.^[16][17]

The GBA was established to serve as a metropolitan-level coordinating and planning body for the Greater Bengaluru Area.^[20]

Under the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, 2024, the Authority is vested with the following functions:

• Strategic planning for the metropolitan area, including the preparation and approval of comprehensive and spatial development plans that cut across individual municipal jurisdictions.^[21]
• Inter-agency coordination, particularly among parastatal bodies such as the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA), Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), and others.
• Approval and oversight of large-scale infrastructure projects that span across municipal boundaries, ensuring alignment with the city's long-term development vision.
• Equitable distribution of financial and natural resources among the municipal corporations under its jurisdiction.
• Monitoring and performance evaluation of local governments and urban service providers within the Greater Bengaluru Area.
• Conflict resolution between municipal corporations, civic agencies, and departments involved in urban governance.
• Advisory and technical support to municipal corporations on matters of policy, technology adoption, and citizen engagement.
• Disaster management coordination in partnership with relevant state and metropolitan agencies.^[22]