The Karnataka Government passed the contentious Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, 2024 (‘GBG Bill’), on 10 March 2025. The GBG Bill proposes to replace the existing BBMP Act, 2021. It will also split the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) into several corporations and make structural changes.
Read on to know more about the:
Key provisions provided in the GBG Bill
What will be the impact of the GBG Bill?
Members and their functions under the GBG Bill
What is the Greater Bengaluru Governance (GBG) Bill?
The Karnataka Legislative Assembly passed the GBG Bill to replace the current BBMP Act in Bangalore city. This new legislation empowers ward committees, encourages participatory governance, and reinforces democratic accountability at the grassroots level.
It proposes up to seven city corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), which is responsible for coordinating agencies and governance. It provides for a three-tier structure: the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), City Corporations, and Ward Committees.
Key Highlights of Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill
A Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) will be constituted. The GBA will be chaired by the Chief Minister, and an Executive Committee will assist it with daily functions.
The Greater Bengaluru Region will be divided into multiple city corporations, up to seven corporations, each with up to 150 wards.
The GBA will coordinate the functioning of the city corporations.
The GBG Bill provides for a three-tier system of urban governance, consisting of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), City Corporations, and Ward Committees.
Corporations will be divided into wards with a Ward Committee.
Each city corporation area should have a population of more than 10 lakh, with more than 5,000 inhabitants per sq km, and the revenue generated from the area for the local administration in the last census year must have been more than Rs. 300 crore.
The government will notify zones within each city corporation.
Corporations have the authority to collect property taxes.
The government will determine Property tax rates in consultation with GBA.
The term for mayors and deputy mayors will be 30 months.
The Ward Committees will ensure the collection of taxes.
The state government will appoint a Joint Commissioner for a zone responsible for carrying out civic administration in the zone. The Joint Commissioner will also supervise and coordinate with Ward Committees and perform functions directed by the Commissioner or Mayor.
Objectives of Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill
The Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill aims to improve urban governance by enhancing political accountability, empowering ward committees, and creating a decentralised and participative system for citizen welfare. It enhances the speed of infrastructure deployment, streamlines public service delivery, and reduces bureaucratic delays.
Impact of GBG Bill
The GBG Bill is designed to supersedeand replace the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Act, 2021, in Bengaluru city. The new Bill reshapes the institutional framework governing Bengaluru’s civic infrastructure. The new apex body, the Greater Bengaluru Authority, will coordinate among various civic agencies.
The GBG Bill, 2025, reorganises the municipal landscape of Bengaluru to decentralise planning, improve service delivery, and bolster transparency across India’s urban region. It provides for structural transformation to break up the often overstretched BBMP into a maximum of seven distinct city corporations. It proposes decentralising powers by providing them to legislators at the local governance level. This gives neighbourhoods better access to responsive administration.
Members of Greater Bengaluru Governance
The Chief Minister heads the Greater Bengaluru Authority, and the Chief Commissioner will be the member secretary. It will also include key ministers, city mayors, and heads of civic agencies.
The other members of the GBA with voting rights include the following people:
Minister of Bengaluru Development
State Ministers from constituencies in the GBA
All MPs and MLAs from constituencies or residences within the GBA
Mayors of the city corporations
Commissioner of Police
Chief town planner and engineer
Heads of agencies responsible for metropolitan transport, electricity supply, and solid waste management
The Commissioner will be the Chief Executive Officer of the City Corporation. Mayors will preside over the City Corporation meetings. The members of each City Corporation will elect a mayor and a deputy mayor.
City Corporation will consist of the following members:
Councillors elected from each ward
Lok Sabha MPs and MLAs of constituencies lying within the corporation area
Registered voters of Rajya Sabha MPs and MLCs in the corporation area
Nominated experts in municipal administration, town planning, health, or education (without voting rights).
The Ward Committees will be chaired by Councillors.
Functions & Powers of Greater Bengaluru Governance
The Greater Bengaluru Authority will have the following powers:
Financial allocations
Approve tax rates
Oversee budgets for all corporations
Coordinate infrastructure projects
Integrate public agencies
Supervise urban planning, service delivery, and technology-driven solutions like GIS and intelligent transport systems
The following powers are vested with the City Corporations:
All functions related to public streets
Making building bye-laws
Taking adequate measures related to public health
Assisting central and state governments in preventing or managing natural calamities
Coordinating with the respective departments for collecting, storing, processing and disposing of municipal solid waste
Impose penalties on polluters
Conservation and maintenance of urban heritage
The following are the functions of the Ward Committees:
Preparing and submitting ward development schemes and plans to the corporation
Ensure the collection of taxes
Ensure maintenance of civic services like water supply, sewerage, solid waste management and street lighting
Amendments & Status of Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill
The Karnataka Legislative Assembly has passed the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, which will be implemented from 15 March 2025.
However, there were certain amendments made to the GBG Bill introduced in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and the GBG Bill as recommended by the Joint Select Committee. The Bill passed contains the amendments proposed by the Joint Select Committee. The amendments made to the GBG Bill introduced in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly are as follows:
It was proposed that the Greater Bengaluru Area may have up to 10 city corporations, but it was amended to have 7 city corporations.
There was no provision for the Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC). It was amended, and the Bill was passed with the provision for the GBA to be the Planning Authority and the constitution of a Bengaluru MPC.
Initially, the Bill contained provisions for Ares Sabhas of all registered voters in the area as members. However, it was amended, and the provision for Area Sabhas was removed in the final Bill.
There was provision for the creation of a Greater Bengaluru Security Force for security of corporation property, and aiding officers of the corporation with tax evasion and leakages. But the final bill amended and removed the constitution of a Greater Bengaluru Security Force.
Challenges & Issues in Existing BBMP Structure
The Chief Minister chairs the GBA and the Metropolitan Planning Committee, which may violate the principles of the Constitution (74th Amendment) Act, 1992.
The GBG Bill gives administrative and executive powers to legislators at the local governance level.
It creates an overlap of power between city corporations and existing public authorities.
The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), headed by the Chief Minister of Karnataka, and comprising various ministers, may undermine the principles of decentralisation.
The Bill provides that the Corporation must obtain prior sanction or approval from the government or the GBA before exercising several powers, such as disposing of property through sale, leasing property for more than five years, and entering into contracts that may hamper its decision-making power.
The Bill provides power to the government to set the property tax rates in consultation with the GBA. But in many other states, such as Delhi, Kerala, and Maharashtra, property tax rates are determined by the respective Municipal Corporations.
There is no provision for Area Sabhas, thus not facilitating enhanced community participation.
Since the MPs and MLAs from constituencies or residing within the GBA will be the GBA members, the principle of separation of powers between the legislature and the executive may be violated.
Before vs After Structure of BBMP and GBA
Here are the differences between BBMP and GBA:
Particulars
BBMP
GBA
Structure
Four-tier structure, consisting of BBMP, Zonal Committees, Ward Committees, and Area Sabhas
Three-tier structure, consisting of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), City Corporations, and Ward Committees
Governing Body
Municipal corporation, i.e., Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)
The BBMP Act provided for zonal committees and area sabhas
There are no zonal committees and area sabhas under the GBA
Commissioner’s Power
The commissioner must get the mayor’s approval before entering into any contract
The commissioner must obtain prior approval from the government
Mayor's Tenure
One year
Two and half years
Tax Collection
Centralised under BBMP
Decentralised to multiple city corporations
Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill 2025 PDF Download
You can download the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill 2025 PDF by clicking here.
The Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill 2025 provides the core principles, institutions, and processes for effective urban governance in the Greater Bengaluru Area. It changes the current BBMP structure governing the city and establishes an apex body of the Greater Bengaluru Authority with up to seven city corporations.
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What is the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, 2024?
The Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, 2024, provides for splitting the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) into several corporations to govern the city of Bengaluru. It provides for forming the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and creating multiple city corporations with wards.
What areas does the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act cover?
The Greater Bengaluru Governance Act covers the Greater Bengaluru Area, which means the larger urban area of Bengaluru city and other areas as the State Government may specify by notification.
Who heads the Greater Bengaluru Authority?
The Chief Minister will head the Greater Bengaluru Authority, and the Chief Commissioner will be the member secretary.
Is BBMP being dissolved?
Yes, the BBMP will be dissolved under the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act since it will replace the existing BBMP Act, 2021.
What are the key differences between the BBMP structure and the new Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA)?
The BBMP currently operates under a four-tier structure, including BBMP, Zonal Committees, Ward Committees, and Area Sabhas. The GBA proposes a three-tier structure, including the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), City Corporations, and Ward Committees. Instead of a single municipal corporation, BBMP, governing Bengaluru city, the GBA seeks to establish multiple city corporations in the Greater Bengaluru Area.
When will the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act come into force?
The Greater Bengaluru Governance Act (GBGA), 2024, will come into force on 15 March 2025.
About the Author
Mayashree Acharya
Senior Content Writer
I am an advocate by profession and have a keen interest in writing. I write articles in various categories, from legal, business, personal finance, and investments to government schemes. I put words in a simplified manner and write easy-to-understand articles. Read more
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