A year into GBA, Bengaluru still awaits key governance institutions
One year after the formation of the Greater Bengaluru Authority, the city's governance structure remains incomplete and largely dysfunctional. Key institutions like the Economic Development Agency and the Bengaluru Metropolitan Planning Committee have yet to become operational, leaving the city without effective local oversight.
Why it matters
The failure to implement promised governance reforms highlights systemic challenges in urban administration and the lack of participatory democracy in India's major tech hubs.
A year after the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) came into effect, Bengaluru has five city corporations headed by separate commissioners, but much of the governance structure envisaged for the city is still incomplete.
The corporations are grappling with shortage of staff, offices and funds, while key institutions meant to drive the city’s development and planning, such as the Economic Development Agency and the Bengaluru Metropolitan Planning Committee (BMPC), are far from becoming functional.
The Greater Bengaluru Governance Act mandated an Economic Development Agency within a year of the GBA’s constitution to attract investment and promote employment in the Greater Bengaluru area, including through Public Private Partnerships. Yet, even as the corporations are looking for ways to strengthen their own revenue base, the agency meant to drive economic development at the metropolitan level is yet to be established.
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