Overview
- On Saturday Aug 8, JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy publicly urged motorists not to pay tolls on the privately run NICE Road and gave the government a week to 10 days to halt collection or face agitation.
- A July 29 Karnataka High Court Division Bench said the Bengaluru–Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor project “appears to be one of the biggest scams in the State” and recommended an independent expert inquiry and a forensic audit of the accounts.
- Kumaraswamy and party sources say specific alleged wrongs include a large ‘land bank’ of roughly 20,000 acres, unpaid or delayed farmer compensation, sale or transfer of acquired land to private parties, and toll increases without state approval.
- State ministers have pushed back politically and no executive takeover or halt to toll collection has been announced, so tolls continue while calls for a CBI probe and recovery of land from the project remain unresolved.
- If the government does not act the JD(S) threat of protests and a non‑payment campaign could force court or administrative steps, create financial strain on the private operator, and prolong uncertainty for farmers and daily commuters.