Hebbal Land Row: Bengaluru MPs slam move to divert metro hub plot to private builders

A storm is brewing in Bengaluru as MPs PC Mohan and Shobha Karandlaje oppose the transfer of prime Hebbal land, earmarked for a multi-modal Metro hub to private players.

The battle for Bengaluru’s future transport backbone has landed in Hebbal. Two of the city’s MPs have raised a red flag against the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board’s reported move to hand over 45 acres of prime land, originally reserved for a Metro-suburban transit hub, to private developers.

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Bengaluru Central MP PC Mohan called the decision a “Hebbal Land Scam,” alleging that land valued at over Rs 60 crore per acre is being sold off at just Rs 12.10 crore. He argued that the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), which has already offered over ₹551.15 crore for the site, is the rightful custodian. According to him, this parcel is not just another real estate plot, it is the foundation for integrating three Metro lines with suburban rail and easing one of the city’s worst traffic choke points.

BMRCL is ready to pay ₹551.15 crore for 45 acres of Hebbal land to build a multi-modal transit hub for 3 metro lines and a suburban rail station.

Don’t sell land meant for public to private builders at ₹12.10 cr/acre when market value is ₹60 cr/acre.

Stop #HebbalLandScam.

— P C Mohan (@PCMohanMP) August 14, 2025

Echoing the anger, Bengaluru North MP and Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to step in. She warned that losing the land to private firms would rob the city of a rare opportunity: a transport hub capable of linking industrial corridors, Metro networks, suburban rail, and BMTC buses under one roof. “This is one of the last big parcels left in Hebbal,” she stressed, framing it as a once-in-a-generation chance to reimagine mobility in North Bengaluru.

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Residents already battered by Hebbal’s notorious gridlock see this tussle as more than political theatre. To them, the outcome could decide whether the city takes a bold step towards integrated mass transit, or sinks deeper into chaos driven by piecemeal road fixes and speculative real estate.

For Bengaluru, where over a crore vehicles jostle on roads never designed for such volumes, the Hebbal junction represents both a nightmare and an opportunity. A multi-modal hub here could untangle one of the city’s busiest gateways and set a model for seamless connectivity elsewhere. Handing over the land for commercial use, critics argue, would not just be a loss of space but a blow to Bengaluru’s fight for sustainable mobility.

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