Kolar, 7 August

Alleging rampant corruption and harassment in the Department of Land Records, members of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene, along with a large number of farmers, protested outside the Malur Taluk Office on Friday.

The protesters laid siege to the Taluk Office and raised slogans against the alleged corrupt practices in the department. 

In a symbolic gesture, they pasted "bribe rate cards" on the office walls, claiming they reflected the amounts allegedly demanded by officials for various land-related services. The farmers alleged that applications submitted to the Office of the Assistant Director of Land Records were deliberately kept pending for five to six months unless the bribes were paid. 

They claimed that officials had fixed unofficial rates for several services, including Rs 15,000 for tatkal podi (land survey), Rs 1 lakh per acre for allotment of new survey numbers, Rs 15,000 for haddubasthu (boundary demarcation), and Rs 3 lakh per acre for correction podi.

The protesters further alleged that while genuine farmers were forced to make repeated visits to the office and endure prolonged delays, land brokers and members of the land mafia secured speedy approvals through corrupt means.

They demanded that the State government immediately intervene and called for the suspension of the officials. 

The protest was led by Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha district president Bedashettyhalli Ramesh and State general secretary Abbani Shivappa.