Bengaluru citizen groups plan legal battle against Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill: Report

At a meeting, the group comprising actor and director Prakash Belawadi, civic experts, and citizens, discussed strategies to halt the bill's implementation.

Bengaluru's civic activism is gaining momentum as multiple citizen groups, under the banner ‘Bengaluru Town Hall,’ prepare to challenge the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill (GBGB) in court, calling it unlawful.

They argued that the GBGB violates the 74th Constitutional Amendment.(Instagram/Prakash Belawadi)

The coalition also plans to contest large-scale infrastructure projects, including the Tunnel Road, Elevated Corridor, Double Decker Flyover, and Sky Deck, citing environmental and governance concerns.

At a meeting held on Saturday, the group—comprising actor and director Prakash Belawadi, civic experts, and concerned citizens—discussed legal strategies to halt the bill's implementation.

According to a report by The New Indian Express, they argued that the GBGB violates the 74th Constitutional Amendment, which empowers local bodies, and plan to seek legal counsel before filing a case.

Prakash Belawadi, who has been vocal about the issue, took to Instagram, stating, “In response to a flurry of hurried and undemocratic announcements regarding Bengaluru city governance and infrastructure, with our immediate focus on the GBG Bill, which undermines the Constitutional provisions of the 74th Amendment, BENGALURU TOWN HALL has convened its follow-up meeting, to seek urgent court intervention on the GoK's ill-advised plans for our beloved city. Our immediate objective will be to arrive at a resolution to go to court.”

Meanwhile, civic activist Sandeep Anirudhan highlighted a 2023 Supreme Court observation on unplanned urban growth, where Bengaluru was cited as an example of poor city management, the TNIE report added.

Senior citizens at the meeting voiced concerns over the Tunnel Road project, warning of its impact on Bengaluru’s water security.

With many citizens still unaware of the bill’s implications, the group plans to launch an awareness campaign, including short videos on social media, to educate the public.

Recently, in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), MP Tejasvi Surya argued that the bill violates the essence of the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, which was meant to decentralize power.

What is the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill?

The Bill proposes restructuring the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) by splitting it into a maximum of seven city corporations in the Greater Bengaluru Area. It also provides for a constitution of a Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) for coordination and supervision and 30 months terms for the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor.

The GBA would be headed by the chief minister as the ex-officio chairperson, while the minister in charge of development of Bengaluru would be the ex-officio vice-chairperson.

(With agency inputs)