Bengaluru: If the state government has its way, Bengaluru will have a new governance body, entrusted with planning and financial powers, overseeing multiple corporations and parastatal agencies. Under the new scheme of things, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) will lose its power to approve land use and development plans as it will be morphed into a separate entity to undertake large infrastructure projects.
According to the draft bill prepared by the four-member committee, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) will be an apex body headed by the chief minister. While mayors of the newly-carved corporations, select councilors, all city MLAs along with domain experts will be the members, agencies such as water board (BWSSB), electricity supplier (Bescom), Namma Metro, traffic etc. will also come under its roof.
The bill proposes a three-tier structure for Bengaluru, a first such experiment to reboot urban governance in the country. While the GBA is the apex layer, the city will have anywhere between 1 and 10 corporations at mid-point and up to 400 wards at the decentralised level. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will cease to exist.
What’s more, GBA’s jurisdiction will be expanded by about 250 sq km covering parts of the Bengaluru’s periphery.
For context: the BBMP covers about 708 sq km. The Electronics City Industrial Township Authority (ELCITA), formed in 2013 and arguably better managed, is likely to be brought under the GBA’s ambit.
Other than planning, which is the powerful function currently held by the BDA, GBA will also decide on the utilisation of funds – allocated by the state government – across different corporations. BDA will be re-invited to undertake big infrastructure projects such as arterial roads, sub-arterial roads, storm water drains etc – which cut across different corporations – will remain under the GBA.
In its note, the four-member panel has pointed out that the division of BBMP without the three-tier structure is doomed to fail. “Delhi had a very rich corporation and two poor cousins without the necessary financial resources. The GBA as an apex layer with scope for gap funding based on needs will ensure uniform development,” the committee believes.