The Karnataka government has reduced the land allocated for the Namma Metro project at Hebbal from 45 acres to just 9 acres, opening the door for private developers to pursue high-end hotels, commercial towers, and luxury housing, according to a Times of India report.

This reversal follows a high-level meeting on 14 July, chaired by Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, where Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) officials confirmed they had scaled down their land requirement.

Originally, BMRCL had sought 45 acres to develop an integrated transport hub linking metro lines, buses, and other public transport modes. The agency had even offered over Rs 5 billion for the land, which the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) had acquired over 20 years ago for a tourism project that was never realised.

The revised proposal was reportedly approved during the meeting, with BMRCL now instructed to approach KIADB for the transfer of just 9 acres.

Last year, senior ministers including Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar had publicly committed the land for supporting Bengaluru’s expanding public transport network.

However, former minister and Rajajinagar MLA Suresh Kumar has criticised the move, alleging that the government is compromising the city's long-term transit needs for short-term private interests.