Goodbye BBMP, hello Greater Bengaluru Authority: City to get 5 corporations from today

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Sep 2, 2025: The state government is expected to bid goodbye to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Tuesday, as the 45-day window to operationalise five new municipal corporations at the place of a single urban civic body has come to an end.

The government may issue a slew of orders, including those concerning the appointment of five corporation commissioners and technical staff as well as the formation of a delimitation commission to redraw ward boundaries.

The transition, given its sheer size and scale, is sure to disrupt the delivery of services — especially the issuance of khatas, ongoing works and grievance redressal, including the time-sensitive complaints about building violations.

While ward offices will remain as they are for now, the zonal, divisional and sub-divisional organisational setup will undergo massive changes, both in terms of staff strength and structure.

BBMP Chief Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao, however, said the civic body is well-prepared to adapt to the new system once the government issues the notification. "We do not see much disruption to the existing arrangements. As works for the current financial year are already approved, individual corporations will not present a new budget, but they can pass a supplementary budget," he said.

Speaking to reporters, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said the government will post senior officers with extensive administrative experience as commissioners of the five corporations. He also said the government will fill technical and non-technical staff positions by identifying those who have worked locally.

The proposal to split the BBMP — which was formed in 2007 — has received mixed reactions. Some believe the restructuring will bring municipal governance closer to the residents, with the government forming five corporations, each helmed by a commissioner and an elected council. Others point out that the corporations will have limited financial resources to undertake new projects, as a bulk of the grants — which generally come from the state government — will remain with the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA).

As per an affidavit related to civic body election filed before the Supreme Court, the state government has promised to complete the process of drawing ward boundaries by November 1 this year and notify ward reservations by the end of the same month.

Highlights - Timeline January 2007: BBMP notified July 2024: GBG Bill 2024 introduced in Assembly May 2025: GBA officially came into force July 2025: Proposal to establish 5 city corporations notified September 2025: BBMP becomes history

Quote - We do not see much disruption to the existing arrangements. As works for the current financial year are already approved individual corporations will not present a new budget but they can pass a supplementary budget M Maheshwar Rao BBMP Chief Commissioner