UDD to hold weekly reviews with Greater Bengaluru Authority, city corporations

Bengaluru: The Urban Development Department (UDD) will hold weekly review meetings with senior officials of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and the five newly formed municipal corporations every Monday.

The one-hour meetings will cover civic issues such as pothole-filling, solid waste management, and the city’s master plan. They are intended to take stock of ongoing projects, it is learnt.

Those invited include the chief commissioner and special commissioners of the GBA, commissioners of the five city corporations, town planning officers, and senior UDD officials.

While the UDD maintains that the reviews are meant to stabilise the new urban governance system in Bengaluru, activists argue that the department has no mandate to oversee municipal functions unless it is held accountable for delays or irregularities. They note that the GBA was created precisely to coordinate efforts among the five corporations.

The GBA Act itself is vague about the UDD’s role, containing only one reference to the department — relating to the Ad Hoc Audit Committee, which examines audit reports submitted to the government and evaluates compliance by the corporations or the GBA. The committee is chaired by the additional chief secretary.

Senior GBA officers said the meetings aim to guide officials new to the system, as several Bengaluru-related files require government approval.

“We are training the officers. They need our support as the system is just taking shape,” said Tushar Girinath, Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development Department. “The meeting is being planned to review progress and discuss the way forward.”