Study reveals weak urban governance in Karnataka

BENGALURU, Karnataka: A study conducted by the Janagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy titled “A Critical Review of Decentralised Participatory Governance in Cities of Karnataka” has revealed significant shortcomings in the management of municipal functions across 11 city corporations in Karnataka.

The study found that these corporations do not have control over 15 out of the 18 municipal functions assigned to urban local bodies under the 74th Amendment of the Constitution. Additionally, there are considerable delays in the electoral processes. Elections for municipal corporations are delayed by an average of 22 months, and the formation of municipal councils and the election of mayors or presidents are delayed by an additional two-and-a-half years.

While city corporations in Karnataka are nominally responsible for 17 of the 18 municipal functions listed in the Constitution—such as water supply, public health and sanitation, urban planning, and building regulations—an audit found that there is significant overlap between city governments and state-level parastatals or departments. In reality, only three of these functions are fully under the control of the municipal corporations.

The study also highlighted a lack of transparency, noting that citizens do not have access to council debates, proceedings, or information about development projects. Currently, only one of the 11 city corporations has functional ward committees. Of the 11, four do not have elected councils at all, with Bengaluru having gone without a council for 47 months, the longest duration in the state.

The study’s authors argue that weak urban local governance undermines economic and social development, as well as environmental sustainability and climate resilience. To address these issues, the report recommends the timely conduct of municipal elections every five years, the prompt election of mayors within 15 days of election results, and empowering the State Election Commission to handle ward delimitation and reservation allocation to avoid delays. It also suggests enhancing citizen engagement through the establishment of area sabhas and ward committees shortly after council formation, linking development funds to the regular functioning of these bodies.

B. Basavaraju, former State Election Commissioner of Karnataka, emphasized the need to empower the State Election Commission to ensure timely elections through effective delimitation and reservation processes. Sudhir Krishnaswamy, Vice-Chancellor of the National Law School of India University in Bengaluru, pointed out design flaws in the 74th Constitutional Amendment, noting that many provisions are optional, which weakens governance structures. He stressed the urgency of reforming urban governance to keep pace with the rapid growth of cities.