Bengaluru: With the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act (GBGA) scheduled to come into effect on 2 September, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has finalised office spaces for the newly established Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and the ten zonal offices that will function under five newly carved corporations.

In an order issued on Friday, BBMP announced that Annexe 1 and Annexe 2 of its Hudson Circle head office will house the GBA, which will function as the apex coordinating body. The authority will be headed by the Chief Minister of Karnataka.

Temporary office arrangements in place

The BBMP clarified that the identified zonal offices are a temporary arrangement until the corporations move to permanent premises. Each corporation will have two zonal offices, making up a total of ten, distributed across Bengaluru.

The zonal offices are:

  • Bengaluru Central–East: Annexe 3 of BBMP head office

  • Bengaluru East–Mahadevapura: KR Puram Chief Engineer’s office

  • Bengaluru West–RR Nagar: Palike Soudha, Chandra Layout

  • Bengaluru North: Yelahanka and Dasarahalli zonal offices

  • Bengaluru South: Jayanagar and Bommanahalli zonal offices

    • Administrative framework

    Each corporation will be led by an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of not less than secretary rank, who will operate from one of the zonal offices. Supporting the top official will be a special commissioner, joint commissioner, and assistant commissioners.

    Two chief engineers will be appointed in every corporation to oversee roads, lakes, and stormwater drains, ensuring comprehensive maintenance of civic infrastructure.

    Role of GBA and corporations

    While the corporations will focus on day-to-day maintenance and service delivery, the GBA will handle planning, coordination, and execution of major development projects across the city. This division of responsibilities is expected to streamline decision-making and improve accountability in Bengaluru’s civic governance.

    A step towards better urban management

    The creation of the GBA and division of BBMP into five corporations is seen as a significant structural reform aimed at improving efficiency in managing the rapidly growing metropolis. Officials stated that the transition would be gradual but assured minimal disruption to ongoing services.