GADAG
While the state government celebrates providing free power to homes, one of its own offices in Gadag has been sitting in total darkness for eight months. The Lakshmeshwar Land Records and Urban Survey Office had its electricity cut off by HESCOM after failing to pay a bill of approximately ₹3,000. Now, both staff and citizens are forced to use mobile phone torches to read documents and navigate the building.
The situation in this fast-growing taluk headquarters has sparked outrage among local residents. Although the government frequently talks about the “digitization” of land records, the lack of power makes modern work impossible. Without electricity for computers or printers, the office is stuck in the past, issuing handwritten maps and manual records to frustrated farmers and property owners.
The small staff of just two people must handle massive workloads, including property measurements and boundary markings, often by squinting at tiny mobile screens to verify data. “It is shameful that a government office cannot pay a small bill while promising high-tech services,” noted one local visitor. Many important tasks, like distributing property cards and maintaining old survey records, have slowed to a crawl due to the lack of light and basic facilities.
Tired of the neglect, local citizens recently visited the District Collector’s office to demand immediate action. They are calling for the bill to be paid and for the office to be equipped with the digital tools it needs to serve the public fairly. For now, the “digital dream” remains in the dark in Lakshmeshwar.