Bangalore Brands Council proposes to create multiple municipal companies under GBA

The Bangalore Brands Committee (formerly known as the Bangalore Reorganization Committee) is preparing to make three detailed recommendations to the state government, involving the creation of multiple municipal companies under the newly formed Greater Bangalore Authority (GBA).

The move comes after the official notice of the Greater Bangalore Governance (GBG) Act 2024. The committee, chaired by BS Patil, held its first formal meeting on Saturday since the bill was notified and began its commitment to the restructuring plan.

The state government has formally requested the committee to submit suggestions on the formation of companies, boundary demarcation and related governance structures. The group is expected to reconsider later this week to continue to consider and refine its recommendations.

The GBG Act was recently notified after receiving the consent of Karnataka Governor Thawarchand Gehlot. According to the notice, the GBA will rule the jurisdiction of 709 square kilometers, matching the existing judicialization of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). However, despite the establishment of the GBA, BBMP will continue to operate under the BBMP Act of 2020 until the public institution is formally reorganized into multiple smaller companies.

Sources familiar with the ongoing discussions suggest that the committee is considering three governance models: breaking BBMP into three, four or five companies. These options are based on the current population distribution throughout the city. Although senior bureaucrats had previously prepared a draft for the three-company model, several inaccurate existences prompted the state government to seek more accurate and detailed recommendations from the committee.

The group has a large number of demographic data and urban data that have accumulated over the years of urban governance research. These data will form the basis for their recommendations. Committee members stressed that their work would be independent, guided only by empirical evidence and urban planning principles, and without political or bureaucratic influence. In addition, the commission will consider the city’s inevitable growth and future expansion, at the heart of its plans and recommendations.