Karnataka: Kumaraswamy alleges DK-linked benami bid to take over NICE, vows to release documents

Bengaluru: Union heavy industries & steel Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Monday alleged that Chief Minister DK Shivakumar was seeking to take over the NICE toll road project in Bengaluru through benami entities and said he would release documents next week to substantiate his charge.

Addressing students and youth at the JD(S) office, the former chief minister alleged that Shivakumar was directly involved in transactions concerning NICE and accused the government of attempting to facilitate a takeover of the Bengaluru-Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project. Kumarawamy represents Mandya in the Lok Sabha.

“According to the information available to me, the Chief Minister himself is trying to acquire NICE through benami companies,” Kumaraswamy said. He challenged Shivakumar to disclose who was acquiring the project and what his links were with its promoters.


Kumaraswamy also alleged that the NICE project could rank among the country’s biggest land scams. He claimed the Framework Agreement governing the project had been substantially violated, including provisions relating to land acquisition, road construction, and toll collection.

He alleged that farmers whose land was acquired for the project two decades ago were still awaiting compensation, while NICE had sold portions of land acquired for the project. He also claimed the company was required to construct 111 km of roads but had built only around 5 km.

Kumaraswamy said the government should have acted against NICE after observations made by the Karnataka High Court on the project. Instead, he alleged, the government had allowed toll collection to continue despite public opposition.

The NICE project has been a longstanding political flashpoint in Karnataka, with allegations over land acquisition, implementation of the BMIC project, and toll collection resurfacing periodically. Kumaraswamy has previously demanded government intervention and opposed continued toll collection.

Kumaraswamy also accused the state government of opening up Bengaluru’s parks, playgrounds, and other public spaces to commercial interests. He alleged that provisions relating to use of a portion of park land for public purposes could facilitate encroachment.

He further criticised the government over the reported proposal to levy an annual charge of Rs 25,000 for parking vehicles outside homes.

Responding to allegations that he himself owned benami properties, Kumaraswamy challenged the government to produce evidence.

“If they can establish that I own any benami property, I will retire from politics,” he said.

Kumaraswamy said his campaign against NICE would remain peaceful and urged young people to create awareness about the alleged irregularities rather than confront motorists or disrupt toll plazas.