Bengaluru Development portfolio — the most coveted and contested
Being the economic engine of Karnataka and known as the Silicon Valley of India, Bengaluru is at the centre of affairs in the State. With
Being the economic engine of Karnataka and known as the Silicon Valley of India, Bengaluru is at the centre of affairs in the State. With mega infrastructure projects worth thousands of crores underway and unmatched exposure, even at the global level, the Bengaluru Development Ministry in the Karnataka Cabinet has turned into one of the most coveted portfolios in the State. Expectedly, it has become contentious and is at the centre of political bickerings as the new cabinet is formed under Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. None happy This time around, Mr. Shivakumar, who earlier held charge of Bengaluru Development as the Deputy Chief Minister, senior Bengaluru Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy, and Krishna Byre Gowda, a relatively younger minister known for his technocratic approach, have been wrangling for the portfolio and none seem to be happy with the situation. While Mr. Reddy resigned as a minister over not getting Bengaluru Development Ministry, and later fell in line accepting the Water Resources portfolio, Mr. Shivakumar is learnt to have been keen on retaining it himself, but was nudged by the party high command to give to Mr. Byre Gowda. During the Ramalinga Reddy fiasco, he even said that the allocation of Bengaluru Development portfolio to Mr. Byre Gowda was the high command’s call. Shivakumar seems to have extracted some solace by not allotting Mr. Byre Gowda Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA), two key planning authorities driving key infrastructure projects like Peripheral Ring Road, Hebbal short tunnel and Bidadi township. For two weeks, Mr. Byre Gowda did not take charge of the portfolio arguing he was awaiting clarity on the responsibilities.
He was averse to taking charge without BDA and BMRDA, as it would slice up responsibility and accountability for the city’s governance and adversely impact his effectiveness as a minister. However, he eventually took charge on June 16, with BDA and BMRDA being retained by the Chief Minister. A dedicated law, an empowered minister Post the Information Technology (IT) boom in the 1990s, Bengaluru shot to global fame, but also became notorious for its traffic congestion, inadequate infrastructure and governance gap, especially in the late 2000s. Out of this frustration, emerged demands for a dedicated law for Bengaluru’s governance as it was felt the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976, was inadequate for the unique challenges of a city like Bengaluru. The practice of appointing a Bengaluru Development Minister started then, with the Karnataka government conscious of projecting Bengaluru as a global investment destination. Ananth Nag and V. Somanna held charge of the city during this period (1996-99). In the Government of Karnataka, there is only Urban Development Department. Despite being a separate ministry and a dedicated minister being appointed, Bengaluru Development remains under the UDD. However, it was discontinued in later years. Even when Bengaluru became a big focus of the government under S.M. Krishna, the city did not have a dedicated minister. Mr. Shivakumar, too, held charge of the city as Urban Development Minister. The practice was revived midway through Siddaramaiah’s first tenure in 2015 when K. J. George became Bengaluru Development Minister. Except for two years under B. S. Yediyurappa from 2019 to 2021, the city has had a dedicated Bengaluru Development Minister from 2015. While under Basavaraj Bommai (2021-23), the chief minister held the charge of the city, G.
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