Bengaluru, August 25: A delegation from the Janata Dal (Secular) met with Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot on Tuesday to demand action against alleged irregularities and violations of rules by the NICE company in the Bengaluru-Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor Project (BMICP).
Led by JD(S) Legislative Party leader C.B. Suresh Babu, the delegation presented a five-page memorandum along with a copy of a recent High Court ruling at the Governor’s residence. The delegation included party legislators and the state president of the youth wing, Nikhil Kumaraswamy.
The memorandum outlined seven key demands from JD(S). These include an immediate halt to alleged illegal toll collection, the return of 554 acres of land from NICE, an investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and a forensic audit, the creation of a special law for government acquisition of the project, compensation for farmers, criminal action against involved officials, and the restoration of lakes and ponds to public ownership.
JD(S) accused NICE of acquiring farmers’ land without proper compensation for nearly two decades, violating Article 300A of the Constitution. The party claims that NICE sold project-related land to private developers through joint development agreements and allocated land for lakes and ponds against Supreme Court principles.
According to the memorandum, only about five kilometers of road has been constructed in the proposed 111-kilometer corridor over 25 years, despite the company holding more than 20,000 acres of land bank.
After the meeting with the Governor, Nikhil Kumaraswamy stated that the party has given the government two weeks to take action. He warned that if the government does not acquire the NICE project, JD(S) will launch a significant movement across the state. The party will also release a website with all documents and run an awareness campaign among the public.
Nikhil described the High Court ruling as historic, asserting that the project was not implemented according to the agreement and that farmers did not receive compensation. He claimed that the court had annulled the final notification for land acquisition.
He questioned the government, noting that despite the court’s remarks, millions of rupees are still being collected in tolls. He appealed to the Governor to ensure government action.
Regarding the Bidadi land acquisition case, Nikhil mentioned that 81 farmers have approached the High Court and expressed confidence in receiving justice. He stated that the court has directed to maintain the status quo, with further hearings pending.
Nikhil Kumaraswamy also indicated that JD(S) would support BJP protests on various state issues. He raised concerns about the re-entry of B. Nagendra into the state cabinet, questioning why a person facing allegations would be made a minister when the Chief Minister himself has acknowledged irregularities.
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