Bengaluru, 8 August

Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday appealed to the people not to pay toll at the NICE Road corridor here.

The JD(S) second-in-command also set a deadline of 10 days to stop collecting toll on the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE) Road.

The JD(S) has been fighting against this project since its inception, alleging illegalities and deception.

"I appeal to the people of Bengaluru to stop paying toll on NICE Road. We have decided to stop the government that is robbing people through toll. We are giving a deadline of a week or 10 days," Kumaraswamy told reporters here.

He said he has appealed to the members of both JD(S) and the BJP to raise this subject in the Karnataka Assembly.

Besides NICE, the party has decided to oppose the AI Powered Bidadi Township project.

"If the government does not take any action, we will launch our fight to stop this toll collection. I have appealed to the people with folded hands not to pay from today itself," Kumaraswamy said.

He also cited the recent observations made by the Karnataka High Court on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project.

"The High Court has observed that the BMIC project appears to be one of the biggest scams in the state," Kumaraswamy said.

Referring to these observations, he said the state government must act immediately to take over the NICE project and halt toll collection.

The Union minister said that in view of the High Court judgment, motorists should not pay toll on the road.

"The state government must wake up to the serious observations made by the High Court regarding the NICE project. The Court has pointed to serious irregularities in the implementation of the project and has questioned the manner in which toll is being collected from motorists," he said.

Kumaraswamy referred to the judgment delivered by a Division Bench of the Karnataka High Court on July 29 in connection with alleged irregularities in the NICE project.

According to a statement issued by the JD(S), the High Court observed that the BMIC project "appears to be one of the biggest scams in the state" and stated that the matter was appropriate for an independent investigation by a team of experts into allegations of fraud and other offences, along with a forensic audit of the project accounts.

"These observations of the High Court make it clear how serious the situation surrounding this project is. The people of Karnataka must understand what the judgment says and what it reveals about the manner in which the project has been implemented," Kumaraswamy said.

The minister further questioned the state government’s silence despite the Court’s observations.

Reacting to it, Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge said no BJP leaders ever protested when the 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, asking how and why the fare was increased. Toll rates have been increased. Who is responsible for that?

He also asked why the BJP leaders who have been protesting against the Metro rail fare hike have disappeared.

The NICE Road is a private tolled peripheral expressway in Bengaluru, that has become the centre of a major political and legal battle. It was initially conceived as BMIC.