Bengaluru Just Got a New Civic Body. Here's What That Means for Residents

By Khushi Arora 23 June 2025

Bengaluru has just undergone one of its biggest governance shake-ups — a major shift in how the city will be planned and managed.

The BBMP is out. In its place comes the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA). What does this new system mean for the city — and you?

On 15 May 2025, CM Siddaramaiah announced a major governance shift: Bengaluru will now be run by the Greater Bengaluru Authority, or GBA.

This move follows the passing of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024, which officially dissolves the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

Why the change? Bengaluru has outgrown its current system. One single civic body struggled to handle the city’s rapid growth, traffic, and everyday issues.

From potholes and flooding to unplanned construction, residents have long faced the downsides of a system with poor coordination across departments.

The GBA hopes to solve this. By breaking the city into smaller zones with local mayors, it promises faster responses and better management.

What is GBA? The Greater Bengaluru Authority will oversee multiple municipal corporations. Each will be in charge of a zone within the city.

These new corporations will report to the GBA, which will coordinate planning, transport, and services across the whole city.

Will Bengaluru’s size change? The GBA was initially proposed to expand Bengaluru’s limits from 709 sq km to over 1,000 sq km. But this expansion is on hold for now.

For the time being, Bengaluru's boundaries stay the same. Nearby villages will continue to be governed by gram panchayats as before.

What changes for citizens? You may soon see smaller, more local civic bodies led by elected mayors. Each will handle services in its area.

Meanwhile, citywide planning will be centralised. The GBA will bring together key bodies like BDA, BWSSB, BMTC, and the Metro Rail. This aims to reduce the confusion of having multiple agencies working separately, often without coordination.

What experts say Urban planners welcome the integration but warn that land use and transport planning still need better alignment.

“Whitefield developed without proper transport planning. Now it faces major traffic issues,” said Satya Arikutharam (Hindustan Times).

What about real estate? If Bengaluru’s limits are later expanded, land prices in peripheral areas may rise, especially where growth is already expected.

“Such redefinition impacts land value. Peri-urban areas are already seeing hikes,” said Srinivas Alavilli (Hindustan Times).

The GBA marks a major step towards fixing Bengaluru’s civic issues. Whether it works will depend on how well it's implemented on the ground.

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