BENGALURU
The Janata Dal (Secular) has escalated its political campaign against the contentious Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE) project by introducing a dedicated digital platform designed to rally public opposition and expose systemic irregularities. JD(S) Youth Wing President Nikhil Kumaraswamy officially launched the “Nothing Nice” website, a comprehensive digital repository created to provide citizens, landowners, and researchers with transparent documentation regarding the decades-old infrastructure venture.
During the launch event, party leadership emphasized that the newly unveiled portal serves as an informational tool to educate the public on the historical context, legal battles, and financial discrepancies surrounding the project. The website hosts detailed breakdowns of the original framework agreement signed in 1997, comparative analyses of projected versus completed milestones, specific legal rulings, and exhaustive documentation detailing land acquisition patterns. By centralizing these records, the party aims to challenge prevailing narratives and build grassroots awareness regarding the long-standing grievances of farming communities whose properties were affected.
Highlighting the core arguments of the campaign, Nikhil Kumaraswamy noted that the multi-decades-old project has failed to meet its foundational urban planning and infrastructural objectives. According to party data compiled on the platform, the comprehensive 111-kilometer highway and integrated township initiative—which originally mandated the development of five distinct economic hubs along the corridor—has faced massive execution delays. Critics point out that a fraction of the planned roadway has been properly completed and operationalized to standard specifications, yet commercial toll collection has persisted for years, imposing financial burdens on daily commuters.
The campaign heavily focuses on the plight of agrarian families. JD(S) leaders asserted that thousands of farmers across districts impacted by the corridor alignment surrendered their fertile lands under the premise of high-priority public infrastructure development, only to be left waiting decades for equitable compensation, rehabilitation packages, or statutory relief. Citing observations from judicial committees and legislative reports, the party underscored that a vast majority of the original framework conditions and environmental covenants were systematically bypassed, leading to unauthorized commercial exploitation of acquired land parcels for real estate monetization rather than designated transit use.
Furthermore, the digital platform highlights significant legal milestones, including recent high court observations and investigative committee findings that question the legitimacy of continued toll collection and land utilization practices. The opposition camp is leveraging these legal arguments to demand that the state administration intervene decisively, halt unauthorized revenue collection, audit existing land transfers, and ensure that displaced landowners receive full restitution with applicable statutory interest.
