HDK claims lack of Assembly support prevented him from scrapping NICE project in 2006-07

Union Heavy Industries Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy claimed on Sunday that the Assembly was unable to support the scrapping of the NICE project in 2006-07 due to insufficient support in the Legislative Assembly when he was the Chief Minister. Speaking to reporters after attending prayers at Sri Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple in Melukote, Kumaraswamy said he had raised the issue in the Assembly as Chief Minister but received no support to scrap the project.

He claimed he could not cancel the project as he only had the backing of 38 MLAs. Kumaraswamy was part of a coalition government with the BJP's support during that time. He also recalled that when he tried to raise the issue with the Cabinet, those who shared power with him boycotted the meeting. If he had the support of 134 MLAs as the current Congress government does, Kumaraswamy said the individuals responsible for violating the law in the NICE project would be in jail.

The Minister accused the current government and their officials of being complicit in the project, describing NICE as one of the "biggest scams" in Karnataka. He alleged that the Framework Agreement had been violated repeatedly and that farmers' land had been exploited. Kumaraswamy criticized the government's failure to take action 20 years later, with valuable land taken from farmers used for real estate development.

He dismissed the Public Works Minister's claim that the agreement still had another 10 years left and alleged the government was joining hands with the company. Kumaraswamy also rejected the allegation that he was provoking the public regarding toll payments on the NICE Road, stating the promoter invested virtually nothing in the project while benefiting from the State's land.