One Year of GBA: Decision-Making Speeds Up but Revenue Lags, Says M. Maheshwar Rao

Marking one year of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and the five city corporations, Chief Commissioner M. Maheshwar Rao stated that decision-making has gained pace and interaction with the public has improved, though revenue generation continues to face challenges.

Speaking on the transition in Bengaluru, Mr. Rao said that an increase in the number of decision-makers at the corporation level has helped resolve long-pending, micro-level issues more rapidly. He noted that works for which budgets can be approved and allocated directly at the corporation tier are being executed quickly, aided by closer engagement with citizens.

However, the Chief Commissioner acknowledged that certain infrastructure works and revenue targets experienced setbacks over the past year. He cited two specific causes for the infrastructure slowdown: the West Asia crisis, which caused a shortage of bitumen, and administrative engagement in major surveys, including the socio-economic survey, the census, and the SIR.

Mr. Rao explained that while the state government provided funds and sanctioned projects, these external factors prevented some works from being implemented as planned.

Revenue generation also fell short of initial budget expectations across the corporations. Mr. Rao pointed out that the administration had anticipated receipts from tax revisions, premium floor area ratio (FAR) charges, and other avenues, but was unable to realize them. He added that the authorities hope to implement these measures in the coming days to raise funds for upcoming projects.

On the administrative front, Mr. Rao stated that overall coordination and operational efficiency have improved across the new setup. The GBA has finalised locations to establish new corporation offices, though the search for sites remains underway for two of the corporations.

Regarding institutional rules, Mr. Rao confirmed that former chief secretary T.M. Vijay Bhaskar has submitted a report on cadre and recruitment rules for the GBA, which has been forwarded to the government for formal approval. A second report is still pending, after which further action will be taken.