Hassan: Union minister HD Kumaraswamy charged chief minister DK Shivakumar and the state govt over the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise Road (NICE) project, alleging large-scale irregularities in land acquisition, toll collection and implementation.Addressing a press conference at his native Hardanahalli in Holenarsipur taluk, Kumaraswamy said the framework agreement for the project was signed during H D Deve Gowda’s tenure as chief minister, but subsequent govts managed it to favour the NICE company.Land was acquired from farmers in the name of the road project, but many have not received fair compensation even after two decades, the Union minister charged.Of the proposed 111 km, work is not fully completed, yet a toll is being collected, he said, alleging this is against the framework agreement.Kumaraswamy alleged that about Rs 2,000 crore has been collected as toll so far without legal sanctity, with rates hiked year after year without govt permission. He said his call to people not to pay the toll was based on court observations and legal aspects.The govt has complete information on how much land was acquired, how it was used, joint developments and land sales, but is maintaining “calculated silence”, he alleged.Kumaraswamy demanded that the govt release all documents, including MoU copies, land acquisition details, toll permission and collection details, project progress and court orders, in the public domain.
