Urging the State Government to initiate action against Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE), the promoter of Bengaluru–Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor Project (BMICP), former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda on Sunday accused the company of increasing toll without permission of the Government.
“The company has violated all norms to increase toll unilaterally. Despite the House committee report in 2016 against collection of toll by the company, toll collection continues. Between 2016 and 2022, the company has collected a toll of about ₹2 crore to ₹3 crore daily,” he told presspersons here. “Has any official gone to the spot to inspect? Ministers also did not provide appropriate answers in the Legislative Council during a debate on the road issue recently,” he said.
Stating that the company had been collecting toll without the mandatory concrete road, he said that the successive Governments should have gone to court but have not done so.
Pointing out at the transfer of land from NICE to BMRCL for Namma Metro work, he urged the Government to cancel the sale deed for 41 acres in Komanaghatta village made in favour of NICE.
KIADB land
“The land that belonged to KIADB had been sold to NICE for ₹14 crore and the same land has now been sold to BMRCL for ₹100 crore.” He said that the land is outside the ambit of the framework agreement, and pointed out that the original landowners have not yet been compensated till now.
He said, “I started this project as per rules. But subsequently rules and regulations have been changed. The company has pledged Government land to raise money. I have written several letters to the Government but no action has been initiated so far. I had asked H.D. Kumaraswamy to follow Supreme Court directions when he was the Chief Minister. I wrote to former Chief Ministers Siddaramaiah and B.S. Yediyurappa also. Now I have written to Basavaraj Bommai.”
