Transitional city: From Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike to Greater Bengaluru authorities

The story so far

As of May 16, 2025, Bengaluru undertook a major administrative transformation and formally established the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), replacing Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) as the city’s main management body.

To improve governance in one of India’s fastest growing urban centers, the Karnataka government has formally established the GBA, replacing the long-standing BBMP. This reform originated from the Greater Bangalore Governance Act of 2024, which came into effect on May 15, 2025, ushering in a new era for the Bangalore Municipal Government.

Why do I need to replace the existing BBMP structure?

The BBMP efforts that emerged in 2007 were in sync with the city’s explosive growth. The BBMP was initially merged with the surrounding municipal council, eventually covering 709 square kilometers and ruling over 10 million residents. Despite its enormous responsibility, the BBMP continues to criticize inefficiency, lack of coordination of citizen institutions, and insufficient infrastructure planning.

From traffic roars and potholes to flooding, garbage management and water shortages, Bangalore’s urban plight is often attributed to decentralized governance and poor inter-agency coordination. Several civic agencies – such as the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), the Bangalore Water and Sewer Commission (BWSSB), the Bangalore Electric Power Company (BESCOM) and the Bangalore Metro Company Limited (BMRCL) – operate independently to create silos and administrative barriers.

GBA aims to address these systemic inefficiencies by creating a unified governance structure that can provide integrated programs and services.

What exactly is the greater Bangalore authority?

GBA is a new urban governance body designed to oversee, coordinate and manage Indian technical capital affairs in a more cohesive and efficient manner. The formation of the GBA is guided by the Greater Bengaluru Constance Act of 2024.

Under the new system, GBA will replace BBMP as the overall urban governance body, coordination across departments and civic bodies, ensure unified planning and implementation, oversee the regional division of cities, and plan to split Bangladesh into multiple municipal corporations to increase localization limitations, strengthen competition with digital platforms, promote a certain civic scope, and form a digital platform, and include it in digital civic scope, and include the committee, formerly known as the Bangalore Reorganization Committee.

What is the structure and leadership of GBA?

The GBA will be chaired by Karnataka Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister will be vice-chair. Authorities will include senior officials from various civic departments, urban planning agencies and state agencies to ensure that inter-agency cooperation is built into its structure.

Administrative officials will be appointed during the transitional phase to ensure that essential urban services continue without interruption.

GBA will also absorb and work with other stakeholders (such as BDA (urban planning and land use), BWSSB (water and sewer), BESCOM (electricity supply), BMRCL (metro and urban transportation) 2, BMTC (public bus transportation), BSCOM (electricity supply) (electricity supply) (electricity supply) (public bus transportation). This collaborative framework is designed to eliminate delays caused by proxy silos and overlapping authorizations.

Will BBMP continue to exist?

Yes, BBMP will continue to exist for the time being. Although the Karnataka government has formally notified the GBA Act, the implementation process, including the division of BBMP into several smaller municipal corporations (probably three to five), has not been completed.

BBMP will remain the main municipality in Bangalore until the restructuring process is formally carried out and a new administrative body is established. During this transition period, BBMP will continue to operate in accordance with the provisions of the BBMP Act 2020. The current BBMP chief commissioner will also continue to serve and oversee the city government until the new governance framework is fully operational.

How will the division of Bengaluru work and the nature of multiple companies under the GBA?

One of the most important changes under the GBA is the plan to divide Bangalore into multiple municipal companies. While the bill allows for up to seven companies, the current discussion suggests formation of three to five companies.

Each of these companies will manage local management and delivery of services in their respective fields such as sanitation, road maintenance, waste management and public health. They will report to the overall GBA and guide.

The model is inspired by cities such as London and New York, which operate under central authorities, borough-based governments. The goal is to bring governance closer to citizens, improve responsiveness, and ensure tailored solutions for different regions.

What issues are involved in the implementation and transition from BBMP to GBA?

Although the law has come into effect, the transition from BBMP to GBA will be gradually and carefully managed. BBMP will continue to operate during the interim period until the new company is officially established and authorized.

The main focus during the transition period is service continuity. Residents will not face disruptions, from collecting garbage and street lighting to water supply and emergency response.

In addition, digital platforms are being developed to centralize services, complaints and performance monitoring, which is consistent with the broader “Bangaluru Brand” program initiated by the state government.

What are the political and public reactions?

The establishment of GBA has been filled with praise and doubt. Supporters believe that for global cities like Bangalore, overhaul has long been overdue and is crucial.

But critics, especially critics from opposition figures, warn that it could increase the level of bureaucracy and lead to higher taxes without improving services. There are also concerns about the concentration of power and whether local elected representatives have sufficient say in decision-making.

On the other hand, the government has promised to hold municipal elections in new companies to protect democratic responsibilities.