Namma Metro Orange Line Jolt: Hebbal Depot Land Slashed, BJP MP Accuses Govt of Caving to Builders

The proposed multi-modal hub at Hebbal, meant to serve the Hebbal-Sarjapur Namma Metro line (Orange Line) is now in focus after a significant scale-down in its land allocation. BJP MP Tejasvi Surya has hit out at the Karnataka government, accusing it of bowing to real estate interests and weakening Bengaluru's public transport future.

His remarks come in the wake of reports that Namma Metro's land requirement at Hebbal has been slashed from over 45 acres to just 9 acres.

Metro Plans Scaled Down Amid Pressure

According to a report in DH, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) has revised its original proposal, dropping the idea of building a full-fledged stabling depot at Hebbal. The 45-acre land was earlier intended to serve not only the Orange Line but also the JP Nagar-Kempapura and KR Puram-KIA metro lines.

The changes were made following a high-level meeting chaired by Deputy CM DK Shivakumar and Industries Minister MB Patil, where the BMRCL was reportedly asked to scale back its infrastructure plan for the Hebbal site.

Tejasvi Surya Accuses State of Bowing to Real Estate Lobby

Tejasvi Surya, the MP from Bengaluru South, took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to express his anger over the development,"The systematic destruction of Bengaluru's public transport systems features high on the Congress' governance agenda.

Caving to the real estate lobby, DCM DK Shivakumar is fully compromising on an important nodal point that can reduce the traffic mess at the Hebbal Junction," Surya wrote.

He added that pressuring BMRCL to reduce its land requirement shows how little importance the Congress-led state government places on mobility and infrastructure.

Real Estate Pressure Behind the U-Turn?

The 45-acre land in Hebbal was originally notified for the Lake View Tourism Corporation in 2004. However, the entity defaulted on compensation to landowners, leaving the acquisition incomplete. In 2024, Namma Metro offered to purchase the land for ₹551.15 crore to construct a major depot. But soon after, pressure mounted from private builders urging the revival of the 2004 agreement-reportedly at outdated compensation rates.

The systematic destruction of Bengalurus public transport systems feature high on the Congress governance agenda.

Caving to the real estate lobby, DCM @DKShivakumar is fully compromising on an important nodal point that can reduce the traffic mess at the Hebbal Junction.… pic.twitter.com/5nvhsJA2t0

— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) June 17, 2025

From Full Depot to Just a Hub?

In its latest submission to the Department of Commerce and Industries, BMRCL has retained only the proposal for a multi-modal transport hub. Even the mini elevated depot plan seems to have been dropped, following BBMP's proposed entrance to a tunnel road at the Hebbal site.

Despite earlier examples where KIADB transferred land to NHAI and BMRCL for public projects, this crucial transfer seems to be stuck due to political and commercial tug-of-war.

Tejasvi Surya's fiery criticism reflects growing concern that Bengaluru's metro expansion is being sacrificed for commercial interests. Urban mobility experts have also warned that without a dedicated depot at Hebbal, operational efficiency of the upcoming 36.59 km Hebbal-Sarjapur line could be severely hampered.

"Bengaluru deserves better," Surya concluded in his post, urging citizens to hold the government accountable for decisions affecting the city's infrastructure future.