Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.
Credit: PTI Photo
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS) on Wednesday slammed Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar for his support of the NICE project, stating that both the Supreme Court and a House Committee have flagged over 10 irregularities, including deviations from the original framework agreement.
The forum accused the NICE operators of acquiring excessive land, engaging in real estate ventures, and misleading farmers under the guise of road construction.
The statement followed Shivakumar’s recent remarks favouring the revival of the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE) project connecting Mysuru and Bengaluru, citing poor design of the newly inaugurated expressway.
"Supporting the NICE project is a betrayal of farmers’ interests. With the construction of a 10-lane national highway between Bengaluru and Mysuru, the NICE project is now irrelevant," the forum said in a press release, urging Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to remove Shivakumar from the Cabinet. "He is unfit for the Cabinet as he openly endorses a project marred by scandal," they added.
KPRS members also questioned why the preliminary notification for the NICE project remains active after 30 years, stating, “Farmers face immense distress due to land acquisitions by the NICE Company. Many have lost lakhs of rupees in legal battles trying to protect their land from unjust grabbing.”