The Ryot Heros Of Belgaum "Jago India Jago"

This is the best story I ever got to paste thanks to newindpress, These bloody governmant officeial needs to be taught a better lesson they should have been striped and beaten instead.

Ryots deal with corrupt official
Source:Express News Service November 8 2007


BELGAUM: ‘Do not test our tolerance, you corrupt officers!’ thundered the farmers of Kednur village who caught a talathi by his collar and forced him to cough up the ‘bribe’ he had allegedly taken for a work.

‘Why should we bear it?,’ asked an angry farmer. Heavy rains this season had ruined their potatoes. The government has announced compensation of Rs 800 per acre which evoked widespread protests because they wanted Rs 10,000 per acre. And the hassles of getting the meager sum prove demeaning for proud farmers. Over and above this trouble was the demand for bribe. ‘‘Our patience has reached the limit,’’ remarked another.

It was K N Dasar, talathi of villages Kedannur, Agasga and Manikeri who earned the ire of farmers. They say he demanded a bribe of Rs 1,500 from each farmer who submitted forms for compensation.

Kedanur village has 160 farmers who cultivated potatoes who suffered loss. Each farmer who approached Dasar to apply for compensation, had to give him Rs 1,500, said the farmers. While many grumbled and acquiesced, Chandram Irrappa Rajai, a poor farmer was unable to meet the demand. He asked for some ‘adjustment’ requesting the talathi to reduced the sum to Rs 500 bribe. He requested Dasar several times to adjust it with bribe of Rs 500 but he was turned back. For this reason, Rajai had to struggle to obtain Rs 1,000 from his friends and relatives and handed it over to the corrupt talathi.

When this news was leaked to Appasaheb Desai, leader of the farmers of the said village, it enraged him.

He along with 100 others picketed the office of Dasar and did not allow him to go out until tahshildar arrived.

L L Mudanal, sub-tahshildar and N N Patil, revenue inspector, Kakati reached the spot. The picketing farmers demanded that either suspend the talathi or the sum be returned. Mudanal’s plea that she would send a report to tahshildar was refused.

Finally the sum was returned with an apology.