One Year In: Greater Bengaluru Authority's Rocky Road to Reform

Bengaluru’s ambitious urban governance overhaul, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), has completed its first year—a period marked by high hopes and hard realities. Launched on September 3, 2025, the GBA replaced the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) with five city corporations, dramatically expanding civic representation from 198 to 369 wards. But as the dust settles, residents and officials alike are asking: has this restructuring delivered on its promise to bring governance closer to the people?

Structural Expansion Meets Resource Shortfalls

The vision was clear: decentralize administration to tackle micro-level issues more effectively. But the reality has been a scramble to keep up. While the number of wards surged by 171, essential facilities—primary health centers, Indira Canteens, even ward offices—haven’t expanded accordingly. The local touchpoints meant to make civic services accessible remain sparse, leaving many residents feeling disconnected.

Compounding the problem, city corporations are operating with a workforce sized for the old 198-ward setup. A staggering 40% vacancy rate means stretched teams are trying to cover nearly double the ground. The intended benefits of decentralization? They’re still waiting in the wings.

Daily Struggles and Persistent Gaps

On the ground, familiar issues linger. Solid waste management, funding shortfalls, and execution delays continue to frustrate citizens. Garbage blackspots, potholes, and erratic waste collection remain part of daily life, despite top-level coordination that has helped expedite some long-delayed infrastructure projects.

Revenue streams that were supposed to bolster the new corporations—advertisement earnings, premium FAR, and B-Khata to A-Khata conversions—haven’t materialized as hoped. The result? Corporations step into their second year with largely unchanged financial capacities, grappling with shortages of staff, offices, and funds.

The Accountability Void

Perhaps the most critical missing piece: local accountability. With elections long overdue and councillors and ward committees yet to be formed, the system lacks the grassroots oversight it was designed to foster. Residents argue that without elected representatives, the GBA’s full potential to deliver hyper-local governance remains untapped.

Key institutions meant to drive Bengaluru’s development, like the Economic Development Agency and the Bengaluru Metropolitan Planning Committee (BMPC), are still not functional. The path ahead requires not just structural change, but actionable momentum—something citizens are watching for with cautious hope.