Citizen activists and experts have voiced strong opposition to the newly enforced Greater Bengaluru Governance (GBG) Act 2024, calling it a direct threat to the constitutional mandate for decentralised urban local governance. They argued that the GBGA, which came into effect on May 15 this year, centralises power under the State government and sidelines the principles of the 74th Constitutional Amendment.

At a seminar hosted by CIVIC (Citizen Voluntary Initiative for the City) on Saturday, former IAS officer and decentralisation advocate T.R. Raghunandan condemned the Act for placing authority in the hands of the Chief Minister, instead of enabling elected urban local bodies to function independently. “This Act flies in the face of the Nagarapalika framework, which explicitly advocates for local self-government,” he said.

Echoing his concerns, Kathyayini Chamaraj, civic activist, emphasised that the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had already been stripped of substantial powers and that the GBG Act further reduces local officials to an advisory role, weakening accountability and grassroots governance.

Satyajit Arikutharam, former Chief Technical Advisor at DULT, warned that opaque infrastructure decisions—such as a car-only underground tunnel—highlight the risk of elite-centric planning under the new regime. “Future generations will bear the financial burden of projects that serve a privileged few,” he said.

While Mr. Raghunandan advocated for the division of Bengaluru into smaller administrative units to aid decentralisation, Ms. Chamaraj warned this could lead to financial inequality between zones. “Prosperous areas like Mahadevapura would retain their revenues, leaving others underfunded,” she cautioned.

CIVIC plans to legally challenge the Act to restore democratic and accountable governance to the city.