The push to rename the district began nearly a year ago, gaining traction in July 2024 when Shivakumar urged the chief minister, claiming it would boost the region’s development and visibility
Published May 22, 2025 | 8:58 PM ⚊ Updated May 22, 2025 | 8:58 PM
Ramanagara to be renamed Bengaluru South, confirms Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar
Synopsis: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, announced that Ramanagara district will be renamed Bengaluru South, with Ramanagara remaining the administrative headquarters. The state cabinet has reviewed the legal aspects and will soon issue an official notification. Shivakumar clarified there would be no financial implications linked to the renaming, which aims to enhance regional recognition
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday, 21 May, announced that Ramanagara district will soon be renamed as Bengaluru South, with Ramanagara continuing as its administrative headquarters.
The decision, which has been discussed by the state cabinet, is set to be formalised through an official notification shortly.
“There will be no financial implications. The cabinet has reviewed the legal aspects, and the notification will be issued soon,” Shivakumar said while addressing the media following the cabinet meeting.
The move to rename the district has been in the pipeline for nearly a year. It gained momentum in July 2024 when Shivakumar led a delegation to meet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and submitted a formal request, arguing that the renaming would bring greater development and visibility to the region.
The proposal was approved by the state government later that year.
However, in March 2025, the Union Government rejected the state’s request, stalling the process temporarily. Despite this, the state cabinet has now reaffirmed its intent to proceed with the renaming.
Shivakumarnreaffirmed that the decision to rename Ramanagara district as Bengaluru South falls entirely within the legal jurisdiction of the state government and will not incur any financial burden.
“A notification will be issued soon. There’s no cost involved. Earlier, all these taluks—Hoskote, Devanahalli, Doddaballapura, Ramanagara, Kanakapura, Magadi—were part of the larger Bangalore district. I myself served as president of the Bangalore Rural Zilla Panchayat. This is a matter of restoring that historical identity,” Shivakumar said, while addressing the media.
When asked whether the Centre had opposed the move, he clarified, “The Centre has no role here. This is a state subject. We sent the proposal as a formality, just to inform them. We didn’t seek permission while creating Ramanagara, Gadag, or Chamarajanagar districts either. Now, all official documents will reflect the name Bengaluru South, and I expect everyone to start using it.”
Ramanagara district was created in August 2007 by then Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, carved out from the Bengaluru Rural district. It comprises five taluks: Ramanagara, Channapatna, Harohalli, Kanakapura, and Magadi.
Historically, Bengaluru district included a vast region covering taluks like Doddaballapura, Devanahalli, Yelahanka, Nelamangala, Anekal, and the current Ramanagara areas.
In 1986, a major administrative overhaul split these into Bengaluru Urban and Bengaluru Rural districts, with the latter incorporating several of the present-day Ramanagara taluks.
Alongside the decision to rename Ramanagara district as Bengaluru South, the Karnataka cabinet on Wednesday approved two key infrastructure projects — the second phase of the Namma Metro and a major overhaul of the city’s waste management system.
Shivakumar announced that the cabinet has cleared the second phase of the metro project at an estimated cost of ₹40,424 crore. “The tender process will begin soon,” he said, adding that discussions are underway to finalise the model for the proposed tunnel road project.
“We are considering whether to adopt a hybrid model. It will be a global tender,” he said.
The cabinet also approved a ₹4,790 crore plan for solid waste management over the next seven years. “Instead of the 98-package tender floated under the BJP regime, we are introducing 33 packages — one per constituency, and two in larger constituencies,” said Shivakumar.
He noted that a court had dismissed earlier petitions challenging the previous tenders but mandated a final decision within four months. “The new system will bring significant changes, assigning clear responsibilities for waste segregation, vehicle management, and construction debris,” he added.
(Edited by Ananya Rao with inputs from Rashmi Patil)
