Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy addressing a press conference in Bengaluru on Saturday, demanding that the State government immediately take over the NICE project and halt toll collection.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday called upon people not to pay toll on the NICE Road and said he was giving the State government two weeks to stop the toll collection, warning that the JD(S) would launch an intense protest if it failed to act.Speaking at a press conference at the JD(S) headquarters, Mr. Kumaraswamy demanded that the State government immediately take over the Bengaluru-Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project and stop toll collection. The Karnataka High Court had observed that the BMIC project “appears to be one of the biggest scams in the State”, he said, adding that the government should act on the court’s observations and stop NICE from collecting toll, failing which, the JD(S) would fight.It (the High Court) had also observed that the matter was appropriate for an independent investigation by a specialised team into the allegations of fraud and other offences against the NICE company, besides a forensic audit of the project’s accounts, he said, adding “People should understand what the fate of this project is.” “The State government should wake up to the observations made by the High Court regarding the irregularities by NICE. The court had said that irregularities had taken place in the project and that toll was being collected illegally,” the JD(S) leader said. “If the government does not take a decision, we will fight. The government is supposed to protect the people. Why is it remaining silent when a private company is looting people like this? Why is the State government silent? It should take action immediately,” he said. Mr. Kumaraswamy alleged that NICE had violated the terms of the Framework Agreement and had “thrown all rules and laws in the air”. “There was a condition that the work should be carried out according to the Framework Agreement. But NICE has not followed any of that. What more reason does the government need to take over the project?” he asked. He alleged that certain powerful interests had grabbed land in the name of the NICE project. He added that governments and officials allowed NICE to loot farmers’ land as it pleased. “In the name of the NICE Road, land was taken away under the pretext of five townships, peripheral ring roads, and other components. More than 150 complaints were filed in courts against this. But NICE misled the entire system, created false documents and escaped from the courts,” he alleged. Mr. Kumaraswamy also questioned the issuance of a no-objection certificate (NOC) by NICE to Shobha Developers near the NICE junction at Hosakerehalli. He said that after farmers had been evicted from the area, Shobha Developers had written to NICE seeking an NOC to construct a building, and NICE had issued the NOC. Responding to Mr. Kumaraswamy’s call to stop toll collection, Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge questioned why BJP leaders had not protested when toll rates were increased across the country. “If the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) increases the Metro fare by even one rupee, the entire BJP comes and stages a protest,” he said, questioning why national highway toll increases were never questioned. Published - August 08, 2026 11:25 pm IST
