BBMP to regulate unlicenced commercial establishments in Bengaluru as citizens flag problems 

Many citizens claim that despite being aware of these illegal establishments, BBMP fails to act unless citizens complain about them.

Recently, residents of Indiranagar had filed a Right to Information (RTI) query to find out the number of trade licences that were issued by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in the Hoysala Nagar ward for the year 2023-24. While the civic body replied that 378 licences were issued, residents allege that there are more than 300 non-licenced establishments in that ward alone. 

“Around 90% of the licences are issued to establishments on arterial roads. But, in the bylanes, on roads which are not 40 feet in width, hundreds of commercial establishments exist,” said Sneha Nandihal from I Change Indiranagar.  

This discrepancy is not exclusive to one ward. According to the data provided by BBMP, by the end of the year 2023-24, only 46,133 licences were issued across eight zones. The number of licences went up by 3,226 between 2022-23 (when the total number of licences was 42,907) and 2023-24.  

The numbers went up slightly in 2024-25 as 3,736 new licences have been issued. Along with this, 32,924 licences were renewed taking the tally to 36,660.

Even though the renewal numbers are expected to rise in the coming months, the numbers are grossly fewer compared to the trade establishments that operate in Bengaluru, according to citizens and officials.  

“When I was the zonal commissioner of Rajarajeshwari Nagar zone, we had identified 3,000 establishments operating without a licence in one zone,” said Surolkar Vikas Kishore, Special Commissioner, Health and Sanitisation, BBMP. 

Many citizens claim that despite being aware of these illegal establishments, BBMP fails to act unless citizens complain about them.