As the Karnataka government moves forward with plans to divide the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) into multiple corporations, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Karnataka High Court by the Citizens’ Action Forum (CAF), a group comprising citizens and civil society leaders. The petition seeks to stay and strike down several provisions of the recently enacted Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024, calling them unconstitutional, arbitrary, and unreasonable.
The PIL specifically challenges the formation and functioning of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), which has been empowered with wide-ranging responsibilities including urban planning, infrastructure development, land acquisition, coordination among local bodies, and delegation of powers to municipal corporations. The corporations, in turn, will oversee public markets, taxation, and the creation of ward committees for local governance. The petition contests key sections of the Act—namely sections 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 85, 95, 96, 100(2)(iv), 101, 103(4), 129(2), 130, 137(2), 145, and 249—claiming they violate constitutional provisions and compromise democratic governance.
CAF further objects to clauses allowing the GBA to borrow funds, prepare budgets, undergo audits, and override existing legal frameworks, including the repeal of the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976. The group contends that these sweeping powers centralize control and undermine local self-governance. The Act was officially notified on April 24, 2024. The High Court is expected to hear the petition in the coming weeks, as public debate intensifies over the future of urban governance in Bengaluru.