Bengaluru: Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has urged the Karnataka Government to immediately take over the Bangalore–Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project and stop toll collection with immediate effect, citing recent critical observations made by the Karnataka High Court.
Addressing a press conference at the JD(S) party headquarters (J.P. Bhavan), the Union Minister highlighted the High Court's July 29 ruling, which described the BMIC project as "appearing to be one of the biggest scams in the state." Kumaraswamy called upon commuters to stop paying tolls on the NICE road and gave the state government a two-week deadline to halt toll collection, warning of intense protests by the JD(S) if action is not taken.
Key Highlights of the Allegations & High Court Ruling
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Court Directives: The High Court's division bench observed serious irregularities and fraudulent activities surrounding the project, noting it as a fit case for an independent probe by a specialized expert team and a comprehensive forensic audit of its accounts.
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Call to Stop Tolls: Citing the court's stance that toll collection by the company is illegal, Kumaraswamy urged the public not to pay tolls and warned that citizens themselves would intervene if the government failed to act.
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Framework Agreement Violations: The Minister accused the NICE company of flouting the Framework Agreement (FWA), creating fake documents, and misguiding the judicial system to bypass over 150 court complaints.
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Land Bank & Farmers' Plight: Over 20,000 acres of land were allegedly grabbed under the guise of five townships and peripheral ring roads, leaving thousands of farmers without compensation from KIADB even after 20 years.
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Unauthorised Toll Hikes: The state government itself admitted in court that the company revised toll rates multiple times without prior government authorization.
Allegations Against Private Developers and Government Inaction
Questioning the government’s silence on the matter, Kumaraswamy raised specific concerns regarding NOCs (No Objection Certificates) issued by the NICE company to private builders.
"Near the Hosakerehalli NICE junction, after displacing farmers, how could the NICE company issue an NOC to Sobha Developers to build structures? Whose ancestral property is that land? When the court itself has questioned why the government remains silent while a private entity loots the public, why is the Chief Minister inactive?" Kumaraswamy questioned.
He further referenced the T.B. Jayachandra House Committee report, which had previously recommended that the state government take over the NICE project, initiate a CBI probe into the irregularities, and return the excess land (approximately 550 acres) back to the farmers.
Call for Public Agitation
Reflecting on his tenure as Chief Minister in 2006, Kumaraswamy stated that he had proposed canceling the project during a cabinet meeting, but could not enforce it due to a lack of political support at the time.
He appealed to youth, farmers, and the general public to raise their voices against the project, stating that he would formally write to the state government and wait a week before deciding on the future course of the agitation. Taking a swipe at Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda regarding recent street vendor eviction drives in Bengaluru, Kumaraswamy asked when the government planned to "clean up the dirt in the NICE project."
The press conference was attended by JD(S) Legislative Party Leader C.B. Suresh Babu, former Minister Venkatrao Nadagouda, MLCs S.L. Bhojegowda and Javarayi Gowda, MP M. Mallesh Babu, along with former MLAs and party office-bearers.
