Bengaluru, Sep 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda on Monday wrote an open letter to Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar questioning the Karnataka Cabinet’s reported decision to allot 1,453 sites to land losers under the Bengaluru-Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor Project (BMICP) implemented by Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), alleging that the move was contrary to earlier government positions and judgments of the Supreme Court and Karnataka High Court.
Addressing the media at the JD(S) office in Bengaluru, Deve Gowda said his objections to the Cabinet decision were based on the judgments of the Supreme Court and the High Court and not merely political considerations.
“I have written the letter based on the judgments of the Supreme Court and the High Court. Nothing can be kept hidden,” he said.
Questioning the legal basis for the Cabinet decision, Deve Gowda said the State government had earlier maintained before the Supreme Court that formation of sites on lands acquired for roads and road infrastructure under the Framework Agreement (FWA) was impermissible.
He referred to affidavits filed by the state government before the Supreme Court in 2016, claiming that the government had then stated that permitting the formation of sites at road interchanges was contrary to the FWA. The government had also maintained that it was bound by the Supreme Court-affirmed mandamus to implement the BMIC project and the FWA in its “strict letter and spirit”, he said.
Deve Gowda alleged that the Cabinet’s decision to allot the sites was being taken with “mala fide intentions” and questioned when the proposed sites were formed and who had authorised their formation.
He specifically referred to sites proposed in villages including Madavara, Kodigehalli, Kengeri, Komaghatta, Varahasandra, Sompura, Pillaganahalli, Kemathanahalli, UM Kaval, Chikkathoguru, Pantharapalya, K.G. Srikanthapura and Gangondanahalli.
“It is a matter of public record that lands in these villages fall within the road/road infrastructure component of the BMICP,” he said.
Deve Gowda also referred to a committee headed by former minister T.B. Jayachandra constituted by the government to examine issues concerning the NICE project. He said the matter had also been discussed in the Legislative Assembly.
Referring to observations made by a Division Bench of the Karnataka High Court in July 2026, Deve Gowda said the court raised concerns about financial affairs of the project company and the need for the matter to be properly investigated.
He alleged that the project proponents had generated substantial revenue through the sale of developed land, Joint Development Agreements and monetisation of project lands, apart from what he termed “unauthorised and exorbitant” toll collections.
“NICE is collecting Rs 2-3 crore in tolls every day. The House Committee had said that the toll collection was illegal,” he alleged.
Recalling the earlier controversy over toll collection, Deve Gowda said the issue had also led to protests in the Legislative Assembly when Siddaramaiah was the Chief Minister and Kagodu Thimappa was the Speaker.
He further referred to the High Court’s observations on the need for a forensic audit of the company’s accounts and questioned whether such an exercise could be effectively carried out if the State government continued to support actions benefiting the project proponents.
Calling the NICE project “one of the worst frauds”, Deve Gowda said he had earlier written to Siddaramaiah on the issue. He said he was among those who had initiated the project with the objective of reducing pressure on Bengaluru and Mysuru by developing parallel cities and infrastructure.
“Instead of fulfilling the original objective, there was an attempt to grab and monetise the remaining land by abandoning the purpose for which the project was conceived,” he alleged.
He said the value of land in the project area had now increased to around Rs. 10,000-Rs. 15,000 per square foot, making the issue particularly significant.
Deve Gowda also referred to Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s earlier criticism of the NICE project, saying that Kumaraswamy had raised the issue based on evidence.
He alleged that the State government’s actions appeared to favour those associated with the NICE project while the interests of farmers whose lands were acquired were being ignored.
“Are the real beneficiaries of the sites not the land losers but NICEL and its investors? Are the investors in your Cabinet, Mr. Chief Minister? The state wants to know,” he said.
Deve Gowda questioned whether the court’s orders could be disregarded or distorted while taking decisions on the project.
“Can anyone distort the court’s order?” he asked, asserting that his fight against the NICE project would continue.
He said he would wait to see what decision the State government takes but made it clear that he would not allow injustice to be done to farmers.
“Our struggle will continue,” he said.
Source: IANS
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