Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy called on Karnataka's state government to take over the NICE Bengaluru-Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor project and immediately halt toll collection, citing Karnataka High Court observations about how the project has been run. He pointed to toll hikes made without corresponding state notifications and violations of framework agreements.
The High Court has noted that compensation for land acquired from farmers back in 2003 and 2009 remains undetermined for many landowners, and Supreme Court proceedings have surfaced alleged irregularities including acquired land used beyond its stated purpose. Kumaraswamy wants the state to act on High Court and Supreme Court directions as well as recommendations from a legislative committee and cabinet sub-committee.
Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar's response was that the government would follow the law, though he acknowledged he had not yet read Kumaraswamy's letter.
The full dispatch is available from the source below.