Greater Bengaluru Authority

Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) is a proposed statutory body that would supersede the defunct Bengaluru Development Authority and assume comprehensive planning, land‑use regulation, and infrastructure coordination for the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region (BMR). Announced on 30 June 2022 by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, the GBA is intended to bring under a single umbrella the 45 municipal corporations, municipalities and gram‑panchayats that now sprawl across roughly 2,100 sq km and house more than 12 million residents. Its creation reflects the urgency of managing Bengaluru’s rapid outward growth, chronic traffic congestion, water stress and fragmented service delivery.

Historical Background

The original Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA), established under the Karnataka Urban Development Authority Act 1976, was dissolved on 31 March 2019 after a series of legal challenges and accusations of land‑misallocation. In the wake of the BDA’s demise, the state’s planning apparatus fragmented among the BBMP, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) and a patchwork of district‑level agencies, leading to overlapping approvals and stalled projects. The 2022 GBA proposal emerged from the Karnataka government’s “Vision 2030” roadmap, which identified a single metropolitan authority as essential for coherent long‑term development.

Legislative Framework and Mechanism

The GBA would be constituted under Section 4(1) of the Karnataka Urban Development and Planning Act 2020 (KUDP Act), which empowers the state to create Metropolitan Planning Authorities with jurisdiction over land‑use planning, infrastructure financing and inter‑agency coordination. The Act mandates that such authorities prepare a “Metropolitan Development Plan” (MDP) every five years, subject to approval by the state cabinet and a public‑consultation process prescribed in Rule 12 of the KUDP Act. Funding mechanisms outlined in Section 7 of the Act allow the GBA to levy development charges, receive grants from the Karnataka Infrastructure Development Fund, and issue municipal bonds up to Rs 5,000 crore as authorized by the 2023‑24 state budget.

Jurisdiction, Structure, and Key Provisions

Geographically, the GBA’s jurisdiction would encompass Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, and portions of Kolar, Ramanagara and Chikkaballapur districts, covering an area of approximately 2,100 sq km. The authority’s board is slated to comprise 15 members: the Minister for Urban Development (ex‑officio chair), the Mayor of the BBMP, two representatives each from the Karnataka State Planning Board, the Karnataka Real Estate Regulatory Authority, and the BMRDA, plus eight elected officials from the 45 local bodies. Under Clause 3(b) of the GBA draft ordinance, the authority would acquire “planning‑grade” powers to approve master plans, allocate land for affordable housing, and coordinate major transport corridors such as the Peripheral Ring Road and the upcoming Metro Phase III.

Current Status and Implementation

As of September 2024, the GBA has been cleared by the state cabinet but awaits formal gazette notification. The Karnataka Legislative Assembly is scheduled to debate the “Greater Bengaluru Authority Bill” in the upcoming session, with the first reading already recorded on 12 August 2024. Meanwhile, the state government has earmarked an initial capital outlay of Rs 5,000 crore for the authority’s operational set‑up, including a dedicated secretariat in Whitefield and a GIS‑based planning platform modeled on the London Greater London Authority’s data hub. Pilot projects—such as the integrated storm‑water management scheme for the Vrishabhavathi