Officials lobby hard for BDA commissioner’s position

Many IAS officers are actively lobbying to replace Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) commissioner G Kumar Naik, who is retiring on September 30.

The demand to find the top job at the agency arises as the state government, only four months old, plans to initiate numerous new city projects, and the BDA wields considerable powers.

Leading contenders for the position include N Jayaram, chairman of the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), and V Ram Prasath Manohar, who previously vied for the role of personal secretary to Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. However, Jayaram's additional role as secretary to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah may work against his appointment, according to some.

Other interested IAS officers such as GC Prakash and Rajesh Gowda, who have previously been BDA commissioners, are unlikely to secure the position. KP Mohan Raj and Manoj Jain are also in the running.

Government insiders suggest that changes in the leadership may also occur at the BWSSB and Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL). Additionally, the position of special commissioner at the BBMP's project cell has remained vacant for a long time.