Bangalore's Five City Corporation Budgets for 2026-27: What Home Buyers Should Read
The five city corporations that replaced the BBMP presented their first budgets on 27 and 28 March 2026, covering the year from April 2026 to March 2027. Together they plan to spend Rs. 20,216 crore across Bangalore. This guide explains how that money is divided, which works were named for each part of the city, and how a home buyer should read a civic budget when weighing a locality.
Five Budgets in Place of One
Until 2025, a single BBMP budget covered the whole city. The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) now coordinates five corporations, named Central, East, West, North and South, and each one prepares its own budget. The East and Central corporations presented theirs on 27 March 2026, and the other three followed on 28 March 2026.
The city has had no elected council since 2020, so officials presented all five budgets. Elected councillors will inherit these plans once the corporation polls are held. Until then, the appointed administration decides which works go ahead first.
The Headline Numbers
The combined outlay rose only slightly over the previous year. An analysis of the five budget books by the civic data platform OpenCity gives the main figures:
- Total outlay for 2026-27: Rs. 20,216 crore, against Rs. 19,930 crore a year earlier
- Largest budget: the West corporation, at Rs. 4,732 crore
- Second largest: the North corporation, at Rs. 4,341 crore
- The Central, East and South corporations: under Rs. 4,000 crore each
- Expected property tax collection: Rs. 4,378 crore
A bigger budget does not mean a better served area. The West corporation has 112 wards, far more than any other, so its larger outlay is spread over more streets and more people. Area, population and the backlog of work all shape the totals.
Where the Money Goes
Public works take close to 60% of the combined allocation. This head covers roads, stormwater drains and lakes, the items that most affect how a neighbourhood copes with traffic and heavy rain. Solid waste management comes next at 11.4%.
Other services receive far less. Education and the council head each account for under 1% of the total. Parks, public health and welfare schemes also draw modest sums when set against roads and drains.
For a buyer, the split shows where civic attention is pointed. Roads and drains are the stated priority in every corporation. Day-to-day services, such as garbage collection and small neighbourhood works, share a thinner slice.
Works Named for Each Part of the City
The budget speeches named specific projects, and several fall in areas where new housing is concentrated. They are listed by corporation below, as plans for the year.
East
The East corporation covers much of the IT corridor, including Whitefield. Its budget set out these works:
- Rs. 450 crore to rebuild and strengthen the Outer Ring Road from Silk Board Junction to KR Puram
- Rs. 150 crore for an elevated flyover from Varthur to Gunjur
- Rs. 629 crore for stormwater drains, with World Bank support
- Rs. 160 crore for a 9 km footpath along the metro viaduct on the Outer Ring Road
- Road widening on the 5.5 km stretch from Whitefield to Kadugodi
Central
The Central corporation plans to asphalt 145 km of arterial roads and 115 km of ward roads. It also plans to redesign 12 major junctions and to widen Padarayanapura Main Road from 9 to 24 metres. The redevelopment of Russell Market received Rs. 112.75 crore.
West, North and South
The West corporation set aside Rs. 787 crore for its road improvement and micro-surfacing programme and Rs. 95.73 crore to upgrade six hospitals. The North corporation allotted Rs. 25 crore to widen 12 road stretches and Rs. 50 crore for pedestrian paths and skywalks. The South corporation allotted Rs. 60 crore for widening on Subramanyapura Road and the Begur routes.
Khata Conversion and Premium FAR as Revenue
The budgets also show how the corporations expect to raise money, and two sources concern property owners directly. Several corporations count on fees from converting B-khata properties to A-khata. The North corporation projects Rs. 680 crore from this, the West Rs. 563 crore, and the East and South Rs. 225 crore each.
The second source is premium FAR, the extra floor area a developer may buy for a project. The West corporation expects Rs. 380 crore from it and the South Rs. 360 crore. Buyers can expect both programmes to be pursued actively this year, since the corporations have built them into their income.
For an owner with a B-khata property, this is a practical opening to regularise the record. For a buyer, it is a reminder to check the khata type before paying and to ask who bears the conversion fee. The East corporation reported that 4.5 lakh khatas in its area had already been digitised.
How Much of a Budget Gets Spent
A budget is a plan, and spending often falls short of it. In 2025-26, the Central and West corporations spent under half of their allocations. The East and South corporations used about 65%, and the North recorded the highest rate.
The same pattern shows in headline programmes. Of Rs. 1,627 crore set aside for the Brand Bengaluru programme in 2024-25, only Rs. 385 crore was spent. The 2026-27 budgets allot Rs. 1,822 crore to it across the corporations.
The lesson for buyers is to count delivery, not announcements. A road that has been tendered and is visibly under construction carries weight. A line in a budget speech carries much less until work starts.
Reading a Civic Budget as a Buyer
A civic budget is useful background when comparing localities, as long as it is kept in proportion. These steps keep it practical:
- Find out which of the five corporations and which ward the property falls in.
- Look for works named in that corporation's budget that touch the daily route: the main road, the drain, the nearest junction.
- Check on the ground whether those works have started.
- Treat a seller's claim of coming civic upgrades as unproven until a tender or work order exists.
- Confirm the khata type, and for a B-khata property, settle the conversion cost before agreeing a price.
- Judge the home on the roads, water and drainage it has today.
Areas on the edge of the city, such as parts of East Bangalore, depend most on these works, so the check matters more there. Talk to our team for help with the ward, khata and approval details of any home under consideration.