The Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA), formed in 1976, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The BDA was created by merging the City Improvement Trust Board (CITB) and the Bangalore Metropolitan Planning Authority (BMPA). CITB, a colonial-era institution, was set up in 1945 after the plague in the 1890s to improve city sanitation. Unlike Mumbai and Kolkata, Bengaluru's CITB came late. The BDA combined development and planning under one roof to meet the growing city’s housing needs. Owning a BDA site was once a dream for many Bengaluru residents. Together, CITB and BDA developed about 70 layouts, including famous areas like Jayanagar, Indiranagar, Rajajinagar, RT Nagar, Banashankari, Koramangala, and JP Nagar. However, recent court cases have raised concerns. The BDA has been criticized for indiscriminate denotification of lands, lack of basic amenities in many layouts, and failure to construct houses on allotted sites, violating allotment terms. These challenges show that while BDA played a key role in Bengaluru’s growth, it continues to face significant issues.