Greater Bengaluru Governance Act to take effect from May 15, BBMP stays for now

Bengaluru: The Greater Bengaluru Governance Act will come into effect from May 15, the Karnataka Cabinet decided on Friday, but there is no clarity on creating new municipal corporations for the city under the new law.

The Act allows creating up to seven municipal corporations to govern the city.

For now, however, the existing Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will continue to administer the city.

“The Cabinet decided that May 15 would be the appointed date on which the Act would come into force,” Law & Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil said, briefing reporters. Asked about how many municipal corporations would be created, he merely said: “Whatever is in the Act will be done.”

On May 15, the government is slated to issue a notification declaring the existing Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) area as ‘Greater Bengaluru Area’. For now, the Greater Bengaluru Area will cover 709 sq km, the same as the existing BBMP.

The Greater Bengaluru Area will have three civic authorities: the Greater Bengaluru Authority, the city corporations and the ward committees.

The government is required to constitute new city corporations “as soon as may be after the commencement of this Act”.

For now, the BBMP will continue to exist until it is “modified, altered or divided”, a senior official told DH. “The government has not decided on the division of the BBMP as of now,” the official said. “The current BBMP will continue until a decision is made.”

Once the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act is notified, the existing BBMP Act will become void. However, rules framed for the BBMP and rules under the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act will be used during the transition period.

The Greater Bengaluru Governance law was passed in the legislature in March amid protests by the Opposition BJP, which described it as a "death knell" for the city. The Greater Bengaluru Authority, headed by the chief minister, will have administrative and planning powers over the city. This, the BJP claimed, would concentrate power with the CM and not the elected councils.

In another decision, the Cabinet approved an additional expenditure of Rs 79.67 crore for “rejuvenation and development” of the Bellandur lake.