Farmer to babus: No cash for ‘bribe’, take my radish

BENGALURU: A farmer’s protest using freshly harvested radish to allege bribery demand by revenue officials turned heads outside the Madhugiri taluk office in Tumakuru district Thursday, spotlighting delays in implementing civic works at the grassroots level.Prasanna Kumar, a farmer from Dodderi Jakkenahalli, staged the protest after officials allegedly failed to act on a Lokayukta order to build an approach road to his farmland in a month. After waiting for nearly two more months, he rode to the office with radish piled on his scooter and a handheld megaphone. He alleged that the village accountant and panchayat revenue inspectors had demanded money. “I took this issue right up to the CM and revenue minister Krishna Byre Gowda. I got a letter asking officials to act, but nothing moved,” he said. Prasanna, from minister Parameshwara’s home district, said he had no money as bribe, but was ready to offer his produce instead. The unusual protest went viral on social media, prompting senior officials to step in. Gotur Shivappa, assistant commissioner of Madhugiri, told TOI he had directed the tahsildar to attend to the farmer’s grievance on priority.However, revenue officials disputed the bribery allegation. Srinivas, tahsildar of Madhugiri, said the issue stemmed from a family dispute rather than administrative inaction. He said the previous tahsildar had already addressed the petition by facilitating an 8ft-wide road. “An asphalted road already provides access to his land. The present demand relates to a dispute among relatives over an adjoining parcel,” Srinivas said, adding that officials had visited the village and resolved the issue.