Bengaluru, September 2, 2025: In a major administrative reform aimed at improving civic services, the Karnataka government has officially launched the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA).
The new body will oversee five municipal corporations and streamline governance across the expanding metropolis.
Announcing the launch, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar tweeted:
“To provide efficient and quality services to the citizens of Bengaluru, we have formed the Greater Bengaluru Authority, which includes five municipal corporations. GBA has officially come into existence today. I addressed the media about this at Vidhana Soudha.” — DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar)
The GBA will operate under the leadership of Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao, with commissioners from each of the five municipal corporations working in coordination. The city’s administrative structure has been significantly expanded, with 27 zones restructured into 50, and 75 sub-zones doubled to 150.
The government has already appointed officials for each zone. Starting tomorrow, tax collections will be routed directly to the respective municipal corporations under the GBA framework.
In terms of electoral planning, the government has submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court stating that final ward delimitation will be notified on November 1, 2025, followed by reservation notifications on November 30, 2025.
Each corporation is expected to have around 100 wards, resulting in 500 new ward leaders across Bengaluru.
“This sends a powerful message,” Shivakumar said. “We expect equal representation, with 50% of these new leaders being women.”
The formation of the Greater Bengaluru Authority marks a significant step toward decentralization and improved urban governance, aligning with the city’s growing population and infrastructure needs.