Bantwal
The ongoing strike by licensed surveyors in Bantwal has brought major land and revenue department work to a standstill, leaving thousands of applications pending and affecting public services across the region.
The protest, launched on March 1 by the All Karnataka Licensed Land Surveyors Association, has now entered its second month. Surveyors are demanding service regularisation, equal pay for equal work, and better service conditions, including job security and timely payment for work already completed.
Union representatives said they have been carrying out essential government-linked tasks for nearly 25 years, including land records updates, survey work under schemes such as Swamitva, pond measurement, and digitisation of land records. However, they allege that they have not received fair compensation or employment security.
According to reports, the strike has severely impacted administrative services. In Dakshina Kannada district alone, more than 10,000 applications are pending, including land division, survey requests, and other revenue-related services. In Bantwal taluk, thousands of both private and government applications remain unresolved.
The association stated that despite earlier assurances, including those reportedly given by the Chief Minister, their demands have not been addressed. As a result, they have continued their indefinite strike, halting all survey-related work.
Officials acknowledge that the shortage of government survey staff has further worsened the backlog, as licensed surveyors handle a large portion of field-level work.
The protest highlights growing concerns over workforce dependence, service delays, and administrative bottlenecks in land record management, with citizens now facing prolonged delays in property-related processes.