Greater Bengaluru Authority to add over 1,200 civic staff, annual cost pegged at ₹137 crore
Bengaluru: The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and five municipal corporations is set to increase the sanctioned civic workforce by more than 1,200, pushing the annual expenditure higher by an estimated ₹137 crore.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is scheduled to cease functioning from September 2, as per a report published by Deccan Herald. The state government is finalising a new organisational framework for the GBA, which will be the first such apex body in the country and the five corporations that will be carved out of the city.
At present, the BBMP has 18,790 employees against a sanctioned strength of 22,411. Under the new arrangement, the sanctioned workforce will rise to 23,689, an addition of 1,278 posts. Since BBMP is already operating with a shortfall, close to 4,900 recruitments will be required to meet the sanctioned strength.
The GBA itself is expected to employ 314 personnel, while Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Ltd (B-SMILE), which will handle large infrastructure projects, is projected to have 107 staff members. Each of the five new corporations will require between 2,163 and 4,315 employees, covering both technical and non-technical roles.
Sanitation workers will remain the largest group, with 16,807 staff dedicated to ward-level road and waste management, a figure that is broadly unchanged. New appointments are likely in specialised areas including finance, town planning, IT, legal services, health, revenue and surveying.
The final workforce figures will depend on the number of wards, which has not yet been fixed. Government officials are examining models ranging from 300 to 500 wards. Based on population estimates, Bengaluru West may have the highest number of wards, while Bengaluru East is expected to have fewer but generate higher revenue. The government has tentatively proposed creating 50 divisions and 150 sub-divisions across the five corporations.
Additional Chief Secretary (Urban Development) Tushar Girinath informed Deccan Herald that the final decision on ward numbers will be taken by a delimitation commission, which is yet to be constituted. “The government will issue guidelines, but the commission will decide the number and boundaries of wards. Reports suggesting a fixed number, such as 450 wards, are not correct,” he clarified.
Citizen groups have raised concerns about whether an increase in staff strength will translate into improved governance. R. Rajagopalan, convener of the Bengaluru Coalition, observed that systemic problems may persist unless reforms go deeper. “The issues that weakened the BBMP, such as cash-for-posting practices and lack of qualified administrators and engineers, must be addressed. Governance depends not just on numbers but on systems, processes and skilled personnel. The GBA looks top-heavy and decentralisation remains largely nominal,” he said.
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Two people killed as poultry vehicle rams into parked truck in Belagavi
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): Two people were killed, and another was severely injured after a goods vehicle transporting poultry birds allegedly rammed into a stationary truck on a national highway in Belagavi in the early hours of Tuesday, police said.
The deceased have been identified as Wasim (28) and Mubarak (22), both natives of Shivamogga district, they said.
The driver of the vehicle, Basavaraj Eerappa Hanchinamani (37), suffered critical injuries and has been admitted to a hospital, police said.
According to police, the accident occurred when the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, allegedly due to drowsiness, and crashed into a truck parked along the highway.
The goods vehicle was en route from Kolhapur to Sorab in Shivamogga district, carrying poultry. Several chickens were also killed in the impact, a senior police officer said.
Police personnel from the Hirebagewadi Police Station visited the spot and conducted an inspection.
Injured people and the bodies of the deceased were shifted to a hospital, police added.
