GBA Faces 40% Staff Vacancy as Ward Expansion Leaves Citizens Strained

Nearly a year after the Greater Bengaluru Authority was established and the city was divided into five corporations, severe staff shortages have left civic governance strained across neighbourhoods including Koramangala.

The State government dissolved the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and brought the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act into force on September 2, 2025. While the restructuring aimed to decentralise administration by increasing the total number of wards from 198 to 369, the five civic bodies continue to operate with staffing levels structured for the former 198-ward setup, alongside an estimated vacancy rate of 40 percent.

The shortage has complicated everyday municipal tasks and citizen interaction across localities. With ward counts nearly doubled, engineers have taken on dual charges, leaving residents struggling to identify responsible officials. Pranith B., a resident of Koramangala, stated that ward visits by engineers and ward committee meetings have dropped significantly, making follow-ups on basic complaints difficult for citizens who cannot regularly visit corporation offices.

Civic activists and experts note that the human resource deficit has impacted core public services. Sneha Nandihal, co-founder of I Change Indiranagar, said the overlapping assignments have diminished administrative accountability. Solid waste management expert V. Ramprasad pointed out that ward-level garbage management, including monitoring blackspots, requires sustained micro-level planning that is currently impeded by the engineering shortage.

Corporation commissioners, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that the staffing crunch forces officials to focus on handling immediate daily crises rather than developing long-term solutions. While isolated micro-level successes occurred, such as easing congestion at the Kaggadasapura Railway Crossing in east Bengaluru through a localised traffic model, officials stated such initiatives remain rare due to current workforce limits.

The administrative delay stems from pending Cadre and Recruitment Rules for the new setup. M. Maheshwar Rao, Chief Commissioner of the GBA, said the proposed rules have been framed by a committee headed by former Chief Secretary T.M. Vijay Bhaskar and submitted to the government for approval, which will enable direct recruitment once notified.