HD Kumaraswamy Claims NICE Company Illegally Collected Over Rs 2,000 Crore Toll
Speaking to the media after offering prayers at the Chamundeshwari Temple in Mysuru on Sunday morning, Kumaraswamy said the Karnataka High Court had expressed serious concern over the NICE project and had observed that it appeared to be a major scam.
Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has urged motorists not to pay toll on the NICE Road in Bengaluru, alleging that the NICE Company has illegally collected more than Rs 2,000 crore in toll charges over the years.
Speaking to the media after offering prayers at the Chamundeshwari Temple in Mysuru on Sunday morning, Kumaraswamy said the Karnataka High Court had expressed serious concern over the NICE project and had observed that it appeared to be a major scam. He urged the state government to wake up and act on the issue.
“I appeal to the people of Bengaluru and all those using the NICE Road. Please do not pay toll. The NICE Company is collecting toll illegally. Even the lawyer representing the Karnataka government informed the High Court that the toll collection was unlawful,” Kumaraswamy claimed.
He also criticized Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge, describing his remarks on the issue as “immature” and accusing him of speaking without proper knowledge.
“The Central Government is not collecting toll on the NICE Road. It is a project under the jurisdiction of the Karnataka government. Priyank Kharge doesn’t even know who is collecting the toll,” Kumaraswamy said.
Launching a sharp attack on the Congress government, Kumaraswamy alleged that it was misleading the public through development projects and attractive advertisements.
“You are deceiving the people, and you will face the consequences in the next election. The government is using projects to make money while fooling people with colourful advertisements,” he alleged.
Referring to the Bidadi Township Project, Kumaraswamy said a Congress-appointed fact-finding committee had described Bidadi as fertile agricultural land. He claimed that he had announced in the Assembly as early as 2007 that the township project should be scrapped.
However, he accused the then-opposition MLA and current Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar of attempting to exploit land in Bidadi. “I am making these allegations based on documentary evidence,” he asserted.
Kumaraswamy also alleged that some ministers in the Karnataka Cabinet had been appointed solely to target him and the Janata Dal (Secular). “They have no other responsibility. Their only job is to criticize me and the JD(S),” he said.
