BBMP now a memory: GBA takes charge from today with 5 new city corporations

Historic civic transition begins as BBMP dissolves; Bengaluru now governed by five city corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA).

Bengaluru’s civic governance has entered a historic new chapter today as the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) officially replaces the BBMP, which now remains only as a memory.

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Under this new structure, the city has been divided into five city corporations—Bengaluru Central, Bengaluru East, Bengaluru West, Bengaluru North, and Bengaluru South—each further split into two zones, making a total of 10 administrative zones. This transition aims to bring faster, region-specific development and decentralised administration, though political debates over its efficiency continue.

The GBA headquarters has been set up in the Annex-1 and Annex-2 buildings of the BBMP Central Office. Annex-1 will host the Chief Minister (GBA President), the Bengaluru Development Minister (Vice-President), and the GBA Chief Commissioner, while Annex-2 will house special commissioners, legal, engineering, and planning officials.

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Each corporation has been allocated specific Assembly constituencies and functioning offices. For example, Bengaluru Central includes Shivajinagar, Shantinagar, and Gandhinagar, while Bengaluru East covers KR Puram and Mahadevapura. Bengaluru West, the largest in staff strength, covers areas like Basavanagudi, Rajajinagar, and Vijayanagar, while Bengaluru South encompasses BTM, Jayanagar, Bommanahalli, and parts of Rajarajeshwari Nagar. Bengaluru North takes in Yelahanka, Hebbal, Dasarahalli, and more.

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The staff distribution reveals the massive scale of this restructuring: Bengaluru West will have over 6,000 staff, Bengaluru North and South around 4,300 and 4,200 respectively, while East and Central will operate with 2,163 and 3,678 staff each.

While supporters argue the GBA model will end administrative bottlenecks, critics fear overlapping jurisdictions and coordination challenges. Either way, Bengaluru’s governance has stepped into a brand-new era.

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