TUMKUR: When the entire state is reeling under drought, over 500 surveyors are busy playing at the Mahatma Gandhi Stadium in Tumkur. The surveyors from across the state are participating in the three-day state-level sports meet that commenced here on Sunday, organised by the Survey Department ahead of the 16th National Land Survey Day on Tuesday. The expenditure of the meet is about Rs 5 lakh and 113 surveyors from the district have contributed Rs 1,000 each from their pockets, sources said.
It may be noted that the Bidar Zilla Utsav was cancelled in the eleventh hour on Friday owing to drought. Summer is the ideal time for the farmers to get their land surveyed. As surveyors and their staff will be busy for the next three days, the work will be further delayed.
When a farmer applies for survey, it takes at least two months for the surveyors to attend it. However they collect bribe anywhere between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 to conduct the survey, alleged Umesha, from Hirehalli village, who got his land surveyed recently.
‘‘It is our hard earned money which the surveyors have been contributing towards their sports meet,’’ he rued.
Deputy Commissioner R K Raju clarified that the Survey Settlement Department has organised the meet. The department asked us to provide the District Stadium for which we have responded, he maintained and added that the Commissioner for Survey Settlement will be the right person to react.
A Host of Leaders
On Tuesday, a host of leaders, including Ministers Murugesh Nirani, Govind Karjol, Balachandra Jarkiholi and M P Renukacharya, former minister Sogadu Shivanna, MLC Jaggesh and M D Lakshminarayan, will attend the valedictory function.