Karnataka governor gives assent to Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill to split BBMP into smaller corporations

Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot

Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot on April 24 gave his assent to the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, which proposes splitting the Bengaluru's civic body BBMP into multiple municipal corporations.

Earlier, Gehlot had returned the Bill, citing concerns over legal and public interest issues raised by citizen groups and the BJP, who opposed the proposed restructuring of Bengaluru's governance.

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The Bill proposes dividing the current Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) into seven separate municipal corporations. It also proposes the creation of a Greater Bengaluru Governance Authority to oversee the functioning of these seven corporations.

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The Bill aims to improve urban governance by empowering ward committees, enhancing political accountability, and ensuring a decentralised, participative, and efficient system for citizen welfare.

The Bill proposes up to seven city corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), which will coordinate governance and agencies. While the bill allows for the creation of seven corporations, sources said that the government will settle for three. Each corporation will have a maximum of 150 wards.

Shivaji Nagar MLA Rizwan Arshad thanked Gehlot on X for approving the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, calling it a landmark step in decentraliSing decision-making and empowering zonal committees. He said that bill brings much-needed reforms to tackle Bengaluru’s urban challenges with a more efficient, citizen-focused governance model.

BJP calls the split costly and inefficient. Opposition leader R Ashok warned that it could allow non-Kannadigas to become mayors, centralise power with the CM and Bengaluru Development Minister, violate the 74th Amendment, and create revenue disparities, which leads to uneven development and unrest.