As part of a major restructuring plan for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), around 25 panchayats with urban-like characteristics are set to be merged into newly formed municipal corporations. Bengaluru may be split into four or five independent civic bodies, all reporting to a central authority— the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA).

Over the past six months, the Karnataka Legislative Assembly’s joint scrutiny committee has been reviewing the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill 2024. The committee, led by Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad, consulted legal experts, civic groups, and residents before submitting its report to Speaker UT Khader on Monday. The bill is expected to be tabled in the upcoming budget session.

The GBA, envisioned as the coordinating apex body, will oversee urban planning and inter-agency collaboration. Headed by the chief minister, it will have an executive committee dominated by ruling party members and the mayors of the newly created corporations, while all Bengaluru MLAs will be special invitees.

The committee has recommended creating between two and seven corporations, with the likely outcome being five: east, west, north, south, and the former Bengaluru Municipal Corporation (BMC). Importantly, municipalities will now manage their own property tax collections instead of the earlier proposal for centralization, a demand especially strong in Mahadevapura.

Additionally, fast-growing panchayats near Electronics City and the airport will be integrated into the expanded municipal framework, enhancing local governance.

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