TUMAKURU: A farmer chose a novel mode of protest, albeit out of desperation, by offering a bundle of radish to a revenue official who allegedly refused to sanction the laying of a road connecting his farm to the thoroughfare in his village near Madhugiri.
Prasanna Kumar, a resident of Jakkenahalli village, on Tuesday brought the radish he grew on his farm to the taluk office and announced through a portable loudspeaker that he was going to offer it to the revenue inspector concerned and the village accountant as bribe, as he had no money to bribe them.
Kumar alleged that the officials had been delaying the road project for the past two years despite instructions from the Lokayukta to start the work. “I have no money to bribe them.
Instead, I will give the radish I have grown on my farm as a bribe,” he said. The farmer grows vegetables and other agricultural products on his own land. “I had approached the Lokayukta court after the officials did not pay heed to my request to either remove encroachment on an existing road or lay a new one,” Kumar said.
The Lokayukta ordered the officials to construct a new road to the farmer’s land within a month, but they are yet to even make a spot inspection, he said adding that his appeal to the tahsildar also fell on deaf ears. Kumar said the Shivanagere village accountant had been harassing him for the money for getting the work done.
Madhuguri Assistant Commissioner Shivappa Goturu told TNIE that a road had already been laid but the farmer has been demanding it should be laid through his brother’s land for his convenience. “I will instruct the tahasildar concerned to make a spot visit and file a report. If the officials are guilty, I will take suitable action,” he said.