After decade’s delay, Bengaluru's BDA floats tender for new city master plan

Bengaluru: Two years after the Congress-led government came to power, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has initiated work on a revised master plan (RMP) for Bengaluru with a horizon year of 2041.

While this is a much-needed development, is being prepared in the absence of a Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC), the body mandated to guide the city’s development.

On Thursday, the BDA floated a global tender to select an agency to prepare the RMP 2041 for the city’s local planning area. Applications close on September 30. Officials noted the process could take several years to complete.

The master plan is the primary document used by the BDA to grant approvals for buildings, layouts, and development projects. Currently, the authority still relies on the RMP 2015, prepared in June 2007, leaving Bengaluru without an updated plan for the past decade.

In November 2017, the BDA provisionally approved the RMP 2031, but later withdrew it without explanation. The process was revived in 2020, but delayed again.

Preparation of a master plan has long been contentious as it requires earmarking certain areas, including private properties, as green zones where development is barred. Such decisions often draw strong backlash from property owners and voters whose lands are designated for green space or road expansion.