Hebbal Short Tunnel and Mehkri Corridor Projects Face Legal Scrutiny Under BMLTA Act

State government approvals for the 2.5-kilometre short tunnel project from Esteem Mall to Baptist Hospital in Hebbal and an elevated corridor extending to Mehkri Circle face legal uncertainty following controversy over their exemption from review by the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority. The state government approved the infrastructure projects on December 8, 2025, bypassing mandatory authority scrutiny by relying on a controversial legal provision.

The projects fell within the purview of the BMLTA Act, which came into force on March 27, 2023, to ensure all major urban mobility proposals in the city undergo systematic review. However, the Bangalore Development Authority proceeded with the plans by invoking Rule 24, the 'savings' clause of the BMLTA Act, to claim an exemption from oversight.

The timing of the exemption has drawn significant legal questioning. The draft BMLTA Rules were first made public on January 3, 2026, which was the first instance where the savings clause was publicly mentioned. Following public consultation and widespread criticism, the final BMLTA Rules were notified on July 2, 2026. The savings provision has since been challenged in court.

Mukunda NS, a founder-member of Bengaluru Praja Vedike, criticized the reliance on the exemption, describing Rule 24 as a self-defeating rule that undermines the primary purpose of creating the transport authority. Mukunda stated that sidelining project reviews defeats the Act itself and noted that the clause is likely to be struck down by a court.

Addressing queries on why the project moved forward without BMLTA review, Lakshmipathy, Deputy Director of Town Planning at the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT), explained that the government introduced the exemption clause to prevent project delays caused by the lag between the Act's enforcement and the formal creation of the BMLTA. Lakshmipathy noted that the government issued the project order in December 2025 for this reason.

DULT, acting as the secretariat for BMLTA, had previously reviewed and raised concerns regarding the proposed long tunnel road from Hebbal to Silk Board. However, DULT subsequently wrote to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike clarifying that its earlier comments should not be considered official BMLTA feedback, as the authority had not yet been formally established at the time.