+
BMRCL Gets Only 9 Acres for Hebbal Metro Hub
RAILWAYS & METRO RAIL

BMRCL Gets Only 9 Acres for Hebbal Metro Hub

A high-level committee chaired by Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh has approved the allocation of nine acres of land near Hebbal to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), significantly reducing the original request of 45 acres. The decision was made despite appeals from notable figures such as Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, former Infosys director Mohandas Pai, and Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje, who represents Bengaluru North in the Lok Sabha.
Initially, BMRCL had planned a state-of-the-art multi-modal transport hub and had sought 45.5 acres for the purpose. However, in a surprising shift, the agency scaled down its request to just nine acres.
Shobha Karandlaje, along with MPs Tejasvi Surya (Bengaluru South), PC Mohan (Bengaluru Central), and MLA S Suresh Kumar, had urged the government to allocate the full land area, citing the metro hub’s strategic importance in easing congestion across the city.
Allegations have surfaced suggesting that influential real estate interests lobbied the government to scrap or reduce the hub project. A meeting led by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on 5 May directed BBMP officials to revise the design, fuelling public scepticism about BMRCL receiving the land it originally sought.
For over 15 months, BMRCL maintained its request for 45 acres, envisioning a comprehensive hub featuring a metro depot, multi-level parking, and a tri-junction linking the blue, orange, and red metro lines, including access to the airport route.
In March last year, BMRCL formally requested 45.5 acres from KIADB, which had earlier acquired 55.13 acres in the Hebbal and Hebbal Amanikere areas from Lake View Tourism Company Limited—a project that has since stalled.
Despite the backing and the strategic significance of the proposed facility, BMRCL has now been asked to drastically revise its land and design requirements.

A high-level committee chaired by Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh has approved the allocation of nine acres of land near Hebbal to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), significantly reducing the original request of 45 acres. The decision was made despite appeals from notable figures such as Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, former Infosys director Mohandas Pai, and Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje, who represents Bengaluru North in the Lok Sabha.Initially, BMRCL had planned a state-of-the-art multi-modal transport hub and had sought 45.5 acres for the purpose. However, in a surprising shift, the agency scaled down its request to just nine acres.Shobha Karandlaje, along with MPs Tejasvi Surya (Bengaluru South), PC Mohan (Bengaluru Central), and MLA S Suresh Kumar, had urged the government to allocate the full land area, citing the metro hub’s strategic importance in easing congestion across the city.Allegations have surfaced suggesting that influential real estate interests lobbied the government to scrap or reduce the hub project. A meeting led by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on 5 May directed BBMP officials to revise the design, fuelling public scepticism about BMRCL receiving the land it originally sought.For over 15 months, BMRCL maintained its request for 45 acres, envisioning a comprehensive hub featuring a metro depot, multi-level parking, and a tri-junction linking the blue, orange, and red metro lines, including access to the airport route.In March last year, BMRCL formally requested 45.5 acres from KIADB, which had earlier acquired 55.13 acres in the Hebbal and Hebbal Amanikere areas from Lake View Tourism Company Limited—a project that has since stalled.Despite the backing and the strategic significance of the proposed facility, BMRCL has now been asked to drastically revise its land and design requirements.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train’s Surat-Vapi Section Set for 2027

The first section of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train corridor, linking Surat and Vapi, is targeted to begin services in 2027. Construction is expected to be completed by December 2026, while Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has indicated that an inauguration could take place around the middle of 2027. The National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) said the train being manufactured in India is expected to reach the tracks around April or May 2027. The train will undergo extensive testing before the section is opened for passenger services. The project began construction in 2021 and includ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Indian Railways Approves Four Projects Worth Rs. 7.36 bn Across Four States

Indian Railways has approved four projects with a combined value of Rs. 7.36 bn across Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. The programme covers train protection, signalling, electric traction supply and a road overbridge, with each project assigned to a different railway zone. In Uttar Pradesh, Rs. 2.52 bn has been approved to extend the Kavach 4.0 automatic train protection system across 607.7 km in the Lucknow Division of North Eastern Railway. The system monitors train movements and can apply the brakes if a driver fails to observe a signal or exceeds a safe speed. The w..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Chandru Raheja Sells 1.49% Stake in Mindspace REIT for Rs. 5 bn

Billionaire Chandru Lachmandas Raheja has sold a 1.49 per cent holding in Mindspace Business Parks REIT for Rs. 5 bn through a bulk deal on the BSE. The transaction involved 9.9 mn units and was executed at an average price of Rs. 505 per unit, according to exchange data. Following the sale, units of Mindspace Business Parks REIT were trading 0.18 per cent lower at Rs. 504.05 on Tuesday. Exchange data did not identify the buyers involved in the transaction. Raheja is the chairman of real estate company K Raheja Corp. The sale involved 99,00,990 units, representing 1.49 per cent of the Mumbai-b..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code