New era for Bengaluru? CM Siddaramaiah chairs first Greater Bengaluru Authority meeting

In a major step towards decentralised governance, the first-ever meeting of the Greater Bengaluru Authority was held under CM Siddaramaiah’s leadership, setting the tone for Bengaluru’s next phase of urban transformation.

Bengaluru’s governance structure entered a new chapter as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah chaired the first-ever meeting of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) on Friday. Despite the absence of BJP members, the meeting laid out major decisions on city planning, formation of new municipal bodies, and administrative restructuring.

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The meeting, held at the Kempegowda Meeting Hall, saw the participation of Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao, and commissioners of the five new municipal corporations. Eleven major urban issues were discussed, from road repairs and waste management to civic coordination and local planning.

Among the major topics:

•    Bengaluru development works in the last month
•    Review of pothole repairs and white-topping road projects.
•    Status of solid waste management and footpath maintenance.
•    Updates on caste census and ward-level surveys across the new corporations.
•    Integration of BESCOM, BMTC, and Fire Department operations under GBA.

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After the meeting, CM Siddaramaiah tweeted that the GBA’s core goal is to ensure “smooth administration and sustainable development for 1.4 crore Bengaluru residents.” He instructed officials to focus on clean water supply, sanitation, and traffic management to improve citizens’ quality of life.

ಅತಿ ವೇಗವಾಗಿ ಬೆಳೆಯುತ್ತಿರುವ
ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ನಗರದ ಸಮಸ್ತ ಜನರಿಗೆ ಸುಗಮ ಆಡಳಿತ, ಸಮರ್ಪಕ‌ ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿಗಾಗಿ ಗ್ರೇಟರ್ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ಪ್ರಾಧಿಕಾರ ಅಸ್ತಿತ್ವಕ್ಕೆ ಬಂದು ಐದು ಕಾರ್ಪೋರೇಷನ್‌ಗಳು ರಚನೆಯಾಗಿವೆ.

ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನ ಜನಸಂಖ್ಯೆ 1.40 ಕೋಟಿ ತಲುಪಿದೆ. ಒಂದು ಕಾರ್ಪೋರೇಷನ್‌ನಿಂದ ಇಷ್ಟು ದೊಡ್ಡ ನಗರದ ಸಮರ್ಪಕ ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿ ಬಹಳ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಸವಾಲಿನದ್ದು.… pic.twitter.com/Yk30fYRxUI

— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) October 10, 2025

In a significant move, the powers of the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) have been officially transferred to the GBA, marking a historic shift in how city development will be managed. Deputy CM D K Shivakumar hailed the day as “historic for both Karnataka and Bengaluru,” calling it a long-overdue reform in urban governance.

However, Opposition leader R. Ashok criticised the move, calling it “D K Shivakumar’s dream project” and a continuation of “unfinished branding exercises.” Despite the criticism, the state government maintains that the GBA will function directly under the state for more accountable, localised governance.

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