Greater Bengaluru Authority takes charge as BBMP era ends

Karnataka government on September 2 officially notified the formation of five municipal corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), replacing Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) which was formed in 2007.

Bengaluru Central City Corporation will have 42 wards, Bengaluru East 17 wards, Bengaluru North 41 wards, Bengaluru South 37 wards and Bengaluru West 64 wards.

The five corporations are:
Bengaluru Central (covering Shantinagar, CV Raman Nagar, Shivajinagar, Gandhinagar, Chickpet and Chamarajpet assembly segments), Bengaluru East (Mahadevapura and KR Puram), Bengaluru West (part of Yeshwantpur, Dasarahalli and Rajarajeshwari Nagar along with Mahalakshmi Layout, Malleswaram, Rajajinagar, Govindarajnagar, Vijayanagar, Basavanagudi and part of Padmanabhnagar), Bengaluru North (Byatarayanapura, Pulikeshinagar, Sarvagnanagar, part of Dasarahalli and RR Nagar, Hebbal and Yelahanka) and Bengaluru South (part of Padmanabhnagar, RR Nagar and Yeshwantpur, Jayanagar, Bengaluru South, BTM Layout, Bommanahalli and part of Mahadevapura and Anekal).

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The state has also posted senior IAS officers to the new set-up. M Maheshwar Rao, who was chief commissioner of BBMP, will serve as chief commissioner of the Greater Bengaluru Authority. Munish Moudgil, earlier special commissioner (revenue), will now be special commissioner (administration, revenue and IT). Suralkar Vikas Kishor will serve as special commissioner (health and education). Dr Harish Kumar K will move from special commissioner (finance) to other responsibilities, while Preeti Gehlot has been appointed as special commissioner (finance) cum Chief Financial Officer.

Commissioners have been appointed for the five new corporations. P Rajendra Cholan, secretary to deputy CM, will concurrently hold charge as commissioner, Bengaluru Central City Corporation. Ramesh DS has been posted as commissioner, Bengaluru East City Corporation. Pommala Sunil Kumar will serve as commissioner, Bengaluru North City Corporation. Ramesh KN will take charge as commissioner, Bengaluru South City Corporation, while Rajendra KV will head Bengaluru West City Corporation.

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Additional Commissioners have also been appointed. Latha R will serve in Bengaluru North, Pandve Rahul Tukaram in Bengaluru South, Lokhande Snehal Sudhakar in Bengaluru East, Digvijay Bodke in Bengaluru West and Rahul Sharanappa Sankanur in Bengaluru Central.

The Greater Bengaluru Authority will be chaired by Chief Minister and co-chaired by Bengaluru Development Minister. The 75-member body brings all parastatals under one platform for the first time, with the heads of BDA, BMRDA, BMRCL, BMLTA, DULT, BMTC, BWSSB, Bescom, Bengaluru City Police, Fire and Emergency Services and Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner as members. All MLAs, MPs, MLCs and Rajya Sabha MPs with voting rights in Bengaluru, as well as the mayors and commissioners of the five city corporations, will also be part of the authority.

Also, read: Bengaluru may get five corporations within existing BBMP limits