The Travails of Urban Planning in India: An Examination of the Planning Law Regime of Bangalore.

This article examines the urban planning law regime in Bangalore, India, highlighting the disjunction between the authority to plan and local democratic accountability. Despite the 74th Constitutional Amendment (1992) mandating that elected municipal bodies undertake urban planning, Bangalore’s master plan is prepared by the unelected Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), a parastatal agency rooted in colonial-era institutions. The planning process is largely top-down with limited public participation, and the master plan focuses narrowly on land-use zoning without integrating key urban sectors managed by separate state-controlled agencies. Enforcement challenges have led to legal regularization of widespread planning violations through schemes like Akrama Sakrama, raising concerns about the effectiveness and equity of urban governance. The article argues for reforming institutional frameworks to empower democratically accountable bodies, enhance participatory planning, and develop more comprehensive, dynamic urban plans.