BENGALURU: The alleged inaction and evasive reply by the Surveyor of Gubbi in Tumakuru district regarding the survey of a piece of land donated by former Rajya Sabha Member, acclaimed Indian theatre actor, singer and director, B Jayashree, for theatre activities, have reached the Upa Lokayukta.
Treating the conduct of the surveyor when Jayashree, who is a Padma Shri awardee, visited from Bengaluru as maladministration under Section 2(1) of the Karnataka Lokayukta Act, Upa Lokayukta Justice B Veerappa, exercising the powers under Section 7(2) read with 9(3) of the Karnataka Lokayukta Act, has registered a suomoto complaint against the four officials. They are Surveyor Shivanand, Assistant Director of Land Records Thimmaiah, Tahsildar Arathi B, Gubbi taluk and Assistant Commissioner, Tumakuru Sub-Division.
The Upa Lokayukta has directed all of them to appear in person and submit their response on March 9, besides marking a copy of the order to the Deputy Commissioner of Tumakuru and the Principal Secretary, Revenue Department and District In-charge Minister to bring the matter to their notice and to take appropriate action on the same. The Upa Lokayukta, quoting a media report dated January 30, stated that Jayashree has paid fees three times for the survey of five guntas of land. However, she was made to visit repeatedly without surveying the land, which is in the name of G V Malathamma Art Trust.
She visited the Survey office recently in the Gubbi taluk as per the instructions of Surveyor Shivanand. However, Shivanand left the office with an evasive reply that “the job entrusted by our higher-ups is more important than yours”, citing the mobile phone call received from his superior officer to survey another land. Upset with the conduct of the surveyor, the former MP Jayashree is said to have expressed her displeasure and left the Survey office.