HC slams NICE, seeks fresh review of BMIC project

Karnataka HC criticised NICE and state authorities for stalling BMIC, noting toll collection on partial roads, and directed govt to revisit the project

The Karnataka High Court has delivered sharp criticism against Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), Nandi Economic Corridor Enterprise Limited (NECE), and the State authorities for failing to implement the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project, which it said has been neglected to the detriment of citizens and the environment.

A division bench comprising Justices D K Singh and Venkatesh Naik T directed the State government to revisit the project by discarding the outdated version. The observations came while dismissing a petition filed by a landowner from Kommaghatta village in Kengeri hobli, Bengaluru South taluk, who had sought sites in exchange for eight acres acquired for the project. The court held that since the petitioner had already accepted compensation under section 29(2) of the KIAD Act, no further compensation or interest could be claimed.

The BMIC project was originally conceived under a 1997 framework agreement. It envisioned an expressway between Bengaluru and Mysuru, a peripheral road linking national highways around Bengaluru, several connecting roads, and five townships approved by the State government. Despite the city’s population now exceeding 1.4 crore, the plan has remained largely unfulfilled even after three decades. The court attributed this failure to corruption, political and bureaucratic interference, and violations of commitments by both the government and project proponents.

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The bench noted that of the proposed 111‑km Bengaluru–Mysuru expressway, NICE has constructed only 1 km. A 47‑km peripheral road has been completed, but the company has focused on collecting tolls from this stretch rather than advancing the larger project. The judges observed that the project, intended to ease congestion and promote satellite townships, has effectively stalled and exists only on paper.

The court also highlighted that the Supreme Court had earlier ruled that the five townships must be developed strictly at designated sites without deviation. It emphasized that in the interest of citizens, the environment, and the future of Bengaluru, the project requires a fresh approach. The bench further noted that while tolls are being collected from peripheral roads and plazas, the expressway and corridor remain unbuilt, leaving large tracts of acquired land unused. Consequently, the State government has been directed to re-examine the project and take appropriate steps to revive it.

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