KAS

The Kanakanala Abhivruddhi Samstha (KAS) or Kanakanala Development Association was established with the aim of providing food security to all families belonging to the Kanakanala Watershed area, and supporting the efforts of the people for overall development of the community.

KAS constitutes many different layers of organisational structures. These are:

Families: These constitute a male and female representative from each family of the village.

Street Groups: A male and female representative from a set of Families.

Village Association: consisting of one male and one female representative from each street group. For example, 5 street groups make up a village association of 5 men and 5 women.

A male and female representative from each village join as members of the Kanakanala Management Committee. The Kanakanala Management Committee selects 4 men and 4 women to the Executive Committee as President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer.

Therefore, all families of the Kanakanala region join to form street groups, which in turn form village associations. Thereafter, one male and one female representative from each village association form the Kanakanala Development Association.

Kanakanala Development Association was registered in May 1999 under Section 1960 of Karnataka Society-Association Act. As per the objective of the Association, necessary programmes have been undertaken for implementation in the villages.

For Example:

• Road Repair: Advibhavi & Narinal
• Bus Facility: Advibhavi & Narinal
• Vana Mahotsava: Garjanal, Kallamalli Tanda, Advibhavi and Myadardokki villages
• Nursery Development: Financial support of Rs. 7000 for the Village Development. Associations of Garjanal, Myadardokki, Juelkunti villages
• Repair of block dams by manual labour
• Maintenance of 53,000 plants by watchers appointed with the community's financial support
• Providing vehicles for 22 villages during droughts
• Arranging and management of community mass marriages
• Providing sowing seeds for plantations in 22 villages
• Financial Arrangements:
  1. Collecting 1 measure of grain from every family each year.
  2. Running the Montessori
  3. Collecting donations for programmes
  4. Collecting donations from the community
• Collected a Kargil Fund, and presented it to the District Collector.

Future Plans:

• To provide 53,000 plants and tree guards to the farmers and the community.
• To form a grain bank by collecting membership fees.
• To introduce development programmes of both government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

The structure of KAS

By Chennaya Swamy and Gouramma