Update from Chintamani as of 30.04.2007

Chintamani in Kolar District (This taluk might go to Chikkabalapur District a newly formed district)

As has been mentioned earlier we got a lead to the MLA Sudhakar Reddy and because of this we had the entire Panchayat supporting our cause. Following is the progress made in Chintamani:

Shashiraj has been positioned there for nearly 2 months now and he has been moving around in the villages interacting with the farmers and the labourers

We got a good lead to a Community Based Organisation called as Jeevika (who work on Bonded labour issue, child labour issue and the landless people mostly Dalits). For nearly 6 months we had been faltering not able to move forward at Chintamani because we were not able to identify any organization which had a mass base. With the arrival of Jeevika and Shashiraj almost at the same time took the initiative to a different pedestal itself and we made rapid progress

Village was identified. The Village identified is Dhanamattenapalli in Konapalli Panchayat
A farmer (a former panchayat member) Krishnappa has come forward to offer his ½ acre of land and there is a borewell backup as well

Labourers were quickly identified, the process explained and the labourers enrolled themselves for this. A meeting was again later held with the labourers and a resolution was passed that they would be working on sustainable agricultural practices and that the panchayat should support them with Food for Work program

We met the Zilla Panchayat member from Chintamani, Mr. Shafiquddin who has been very supportive for us and he has assured that the Panchayat would release the food for work for 5 women for 100 days at Rs. 68 per day

We are also exploring the nearby Panchayat lands to take forward the renewable energy initiative where Sweet Sorghum would be grown and biogas generated. This in combination with Solar thermal would be used for the Hybrid energy system pilot for a 5 KW plant

Biomass collection has been started in right earnest and we would be taking the process forward