HD Deve Gowda flays Karnataka government on move to allot sites to BMICP land losers

BENGALURU: JDS supremo and former PM HD Deve Gowda on Monday questioned the legality of the state government’s decision to direct Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise Limited (NICE) to allot 1,453 sites to farmers who parted with their land for the Bengaluru-Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor Project (BMICP). He alleged that the move could be in violation of the Supreme Court orders and the project’s Framework Agreement.

He released a three-page ‘open letter’ addressed to Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and alleged that the Cabinet’s decision is the fall out of the recommendation of a sub-committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwara. He said the next course of action will be decided based on the response to his letter. He said: “Land value in this area is between Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 per square foot. Who is behind this illegal activity? The truth will come out.”

He defended Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy’s allegation that DK Shivakumar is attempting to take over the NICE project. “Kumaraswamy does not speak without evidence. I have documents showing who has transferred land to whom,” he said.

Describing the NICE project as the biggest fraud in the country, the former PM said the cabinet decision is contrary to the observations of the Karnataka High Court and the judgments of the Supreme Court.

“I do not deny BMICP initiated when I was the CM. But successive governments and officials after me have colluded with NICE and committed irregularities,” he alleged.

In 1997, when he was Chief Minister, a Framework Agreement was entered into with NICE. Under the agreement, land was acquired for developing the road and the supporting infrastructure, he said.

“However, in 2016, when a government led by the same party to which DK Shivakumar was in power, it submitted an affidavit before the Supreme Court stating that constructing sites in interchange areas was contrary to the agreement as well as the court’s orders. It is difficult to accept that the same party’s government is now taking decisions contrary to its earlier position,” Deve Gowda pointed out.

“The government is now proceeding with the allotment of sites as a tactic to divert the attention of farmers. This would amount to contempt of court,” he said. He said the land acquired for the construction of roads cannot be used for commercial purposes under the guise of development.

He referred to the observations made by the High Court’s Division Bench in July 2026 that the company’s balance sheets had consistently disclosed advances against land sales and joint development agreements ranging from Rs 36 crore to Rs 48 crore.

He said this reflected commercial activities that had continued over several financial years, including the sale of developed land, joint development agreements and monetisation of project land, apart from unauthorised and excessive toll collection being a significant source of revenue.

He also said that completed portions of the Link Road and Peripheral Road had been capitalised as assets in the company’s financial statements. The court had also stated that the company’s accounts should be subjected to a forensic audit, he said. He said that the court had expressed suspicion that the state government itself was facilitating the project promoters in unlawfully earning huge profits by allowing them to capitalise their assets.

WILL TAKE DECISIONS WITHIN LEGAL FRAMEWORK: CM

BENGALURU: Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday clarified that the state government will take decisions on the NICE (Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise) BMIC project within the legal framework.

He issued this clarification in view of the allegation that the Cabinet had violated the rule of law in deciding to allot 1,453 sites to farmers who lost their land to the project. Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda had questioned the legality of the cabinet decision on allotment of sites to the land losers.

Shivakumar said the government will seek legal opinion in this regard. It is reviewing all aspects related to the project, he told reporters here. Farmers have lost their land. Protecting their interests is the government’s responsibility. Previous governments had signed agreements related to the project and land acquisition, he said.

“We will take decisions within the legal framework. We will not do anything against the law. If any law is violated, there are courts. Let them go there,” he said.