Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar receives the draft bill from (extreme left) Former Chief Secretary BS Patil, (second from right) civic expert V Ravichandar, and retired IAS officer Siddaiah.
Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: The Former Chief Secretary BS Patil-led four-member committee, formed to restructure the BBMP, has submitted the draft ‘Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill 2024’ to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his Deputy D K Shivakumar.
The state cabinet is likely to discuss the bill in the next meeting before placing it in the monsoon Assembly session.
The draft bill was prepared by the 'Brand Bengaluru' committee, which includes civic evangelist V Ravichandar and retired IAS officer Siddaiah.
Over the past 10 months, the committee has expanded on its previous work from the BBMP restructuring committee, incorporating “current realities” into their considerations.
In the draft bill, the committee has proposed the creation of a Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) with planning and financial powers to govern the city.
The GBA is expected to cover approximately 1,400 square kilometres, matching the current jurisdiction of the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). While the BDA will lose its planning powers, it will continue to undertake large infrastructure projects on behalf of the GBA.
Under the GBA, 1 to 10 corporations will cover approximately 950 square kilometers.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), currently spread across 708 sqkm, will be dissolved. The draft bill outlines the establishment of up to 400 wards.
It is learnt that the draft bill is slated for extensive discussion during the state cabinet meeting scheduled for Thursday.
Following consensus among the ministers, the government may introduce the bill in the upcoming assembly session. It will later be presented to the Legislative Council, where the Congress-led government lacks a majority.