Don’t pay NICE toll, Kumaraswamy tells people; gives govt. two weeks to stop toll collection
Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has urged citizens to stop paying tolls on the NICE Road, citing alleged irregularities and fraud within the BMIC project. He has given the Karnataka state government a two-week ultimatum to take over the project or face intense protests from the JD(S).
Why it matters
The dispute highlights significant legal and political tensions surrounding infrastructure projects in Karnataka, potentially impacting public policy and the operational status of major transit corridors.
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.
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