Mon Jan 06 17:13:16 UTC 2025: ## Karnataka Panchayat Officials Attack Activists Exposing Irregularities
**Belagavi, Karnataka, January 7, 2025** – Two members of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS), a farmers’ association, were attacked by a Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) and others after attempting to expose irregularities in the Kerur gram panchayat of Belagavi district.
According to a complaint filed by KRRS district president Gangadhar Dodamani with the Deputy Commissioner’s office, activists Gajendra Gasti and Anil Dane gathered documents indicating the PDO’s involvement in misappropriation of funds from MGNREGA and other schemes. The PDO and his associates initially threatened the activists before resorting to violence. Both Gasti and Dane are currently hospitalized.
The incident highlights ongoing concerns about transparency and accountability in local governance in Karnataka. Police are expected to launch an investigation into the attack.
First Piper 