Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar responded to Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy’s letter demanding a state takeover of the NICE project. Kumaraswamy cited alleged violations and a High Court judgment, urging a halt to ‘unauthorized’ toll collection.
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday said the State government would “do whatever is required as per the law” on Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy’s letter seeking a takeover of the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE) project and an immediate halt to toll collection.
Kumaraswamy Demands State Takeover
“We will do whatever is required as per the law. I have just come to know that he has written a letter. I will look into the letter,” Shivakumar told reporters while responding to a question on Kumaraswamy’s demand.
Kumaraswamy, who is also the Karnataka Pradesh Janata Dal (Secular) president, wrote to Shivakumar on August 15, urging the State government to take over the NICE project and immediately stop what he described as “unauthorized” toll collection.
Citing High Court Judgment and Violations
In his letter, Kumaraswamy referred to the Karnataka High Court Division Bench judgment of July 29, 2026, concerning land acquisition and the implementation of the Bengaluru-Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project. He alleged that NICE had violated several provisions of the Framework Agreement (FWA) and Project Technical Agreement, including issues related to land use, toll collection and construction of project infrastructure.
Kumaraswamy cited the High Court’s observations on the project and said the court had raised concerns over the acquisition of farmers’ land without payment of compensation, as well as the alleged use of acquired land for purposes other than those originally intended.
Quoting the High Court judgment, Kumaraswamy said, “There is nothing nice about the NICE Project except the farmers have been robbed of their lands and livelihood of generations without payment of compensation as mandated under Article 300A of the Constitution of India.”
He also referred to the court’s observation that the BMIC project “may be one of the biggest scams in the State of Karnataka”, alleging that private interests had been allowed to flourish at the expense of public interest and the environment.
Kumaraswamy further claimed that NICE had completed only a portion of the proposed road network despite holding a large land bank. He said the state government should take back excess land, stop unauthorised toll collection and withdraw notifications for land acquired outside the Framework Agreement. He urged Shivakumar to enact a law to take over the project, citing alleged violations of the Framework Agreement (FWA) and Project Technical Agreement (PTA).
About the NICE Project
The NICE project was conceived to develop an infrastructure corridor connecting Bengaluru and Mysuru, including an expressway, peripheral and link roads, and five townships. (ANI)
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