TIST Activities at Kattiampandal
TIST
November 2004
CHEZHUMAI ©
Deepavali
Deepavali - Narakasura, a demon, ruled the kingdom of Pradyoshapuram. Under his rule, the villagers suffered a lot of hardship as the demon tortured the people and kidnapped the women to be imprisoned in his palace. Seeing his wickedness, Lord Khrishna set out to destroy the demon and the day Narakasura died was celebrated as Deepavali, the triumph of good over evil! One important practice that the people follow during the festival is to light oil lamps in their homes on Deepavali morning. By lighting the oil lamps, the people are thanking the gods for the happiness, knowledge, peace and wealth that they have received. Let us all join together and pray to Lord Khrishna to save us from the evil around us, and enjoy the Deepavali with family and friends – Thank You Lord Khrishna.
SGMR – A Compelling Necessity
SGMR as such is a very important report for a small group and more particularly any delay in submission of the same will lead to unnecessary disappointments, at all levels of operations. We also wish to share with you that the most vital columns in SGMR are # 9, 10, & 11 which is very vital for the nos. that are written in these columns stands good for your small groups voucher payment. Hence, no corrections or alterations are entertained in these columns. Any difference arising in these columns compared to the earlier report submitted by your Small group has to be authenticated by acceptable reasons or reply. For instance, if there is an increase in the nos. of trees transplanted by your small group then the same nos. if not more should have been reflected in the Nursery column of your Earlier months SGMR again for which you should have supporting photographic evidences. This will perhaps avoid unnecessary disappointments and delay while processing/effecting your voucher payments.
This can only be done when your reporting and Group meeting takes place regularly, during which these increase in nos. are recorded by other Group members. So again it becomes important that all group members do assemble in good strength at regular intervals to discuss and record on the growth and development. There by regular group meetings becomes necessary for avoiding such confusions on total counts of trees and seedlings which are been entered and updated during your Node Meet in SGMR / Palmtop. This again reminds you that attending your Node Meet is equally important for this is the only Centralised place where you really handover the SGMR's to the TIST representative. A delay in submission of SGMR during the Node Meet will obviously delay and disappoint your anticipations. Please be watchful and attentive on the date and time of our Node Meet.
A Glance at Working of Voucher Payments
SGMR Submission for Six Months in a Row Months Total Months Total Grand Total Group 1 2 3 1st Qtr 4 5 6 2nd Qtr Remarks A 1 1 1 3 Eligible for Quarterly voucher payment B 0 2 1 3 Not Eligible C 1 0 2 3 Not Eligible D 0 0 3 3 Not Eligible E 0 2 1 3 1 1 1 3 6 Eligible for 2 Quarter Payment F 1 0 2 3 1 1 1 3 6 Eligible for 2 Quarter Payment G 0 0 3 3 1 1 1 3 6 Eligible for 2 Quarter Payment H 0 0 0 0 4 0 2 6 6 Not eligible for both the quarter I 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 6 6 Not eligible for both the quarter J 0 0 0 0 4 1 1 6 6 Eligible for 2 Quarter 
TIST Activities at Kattiampandal
Valluvankalini Small Group of Kattiampandal
This small group got themselves registered with TIST on 05.09.2004. To an extent, September to February is considered to be rainy and chill weather. This small group members have taken full advantage of this season and started planting casuarinas trees. The casuarinas trees are planted in 5 patches, so that, the available little water can be sprinkled to the patches in different spell. The casuarinas trees are healthy and are in 40-60 cm in height. They are planted with an interval of 75 – 90 cm. The spacing between the trees calls for an attention. You all have voluntarily joined in the TIST program to strengthen the atmosphere by planting trees. When you plant trees, give enough spacing between each trees, so that, trees will grow well. Please inform you village coordinator for TIST or to the TIST officials when you transplant your trees, so that, you will be guided well while transplanting.
Valluvankalini Small Group members are very active in removing the unwanted grass and the wild plants, which grow in between the casuarinas. This not only helps the casuarinas to grow well, but also helps your Quantifier/Auditor to quantify your groves perfectly. There are 9,562 casuarina trees available with this small group.
Kummumodukalini Small Group of Kattiampandal
This small group got themselves registered with TIST on 05.09.2004. They have also started casuarinas trees in their four acres dry land. The trees are very young, healthy and standing to 50 cm in height. Even this small group has planted their trees with very little spacing, just 70 – 90 cm and that too, in a chaos manner. The quantification on the groves of this small group was conducted on 24.10.2004. The TIST Quantifier landed with 13,600 trees after having a thorough count, whereas the members of this group informed that they have planted more than 25,000/-. This slip-up is absolutely due to the Small Group Members. They have planted their trees very close in a chaos manner and above all, in all their groves unwanted weeds are grown taller than the casuarinas, in such cases, it is absolutely difficult for the TIST Quantifier to count perfectly.
TIST requests all the members to adhere to the instructions given in the Quantifier/Auditor’s Report in this issue.
TIST Activities at Molachur
Srinivasan and Ganga Small Groups of Chittoor have started growing trees like Casuarina, Eucalyptus, Pencil, Teak etc. Five Small Groups like: (a) Thalampu; (b) Velavan; (c) Malligai; (d) Brindavan and (d) Roja are the newly joined groups of Molachur. The more detailed activities of these Small Groups will feature in the December Issue.
Quantifier / Auditor’s Report
Wish you all a Happy and Colourful Deepawali 2004.
Since February 2004, there are more than 2,00,000 trees + seedlings added to TIST Program by the Small Group Members of TIST. Out of the six Group Centres, the voluntary activities of Mel Kodungalur and Molachur Small Groups are tremendous and of course few Small Groups of the other Centres are also doing well. I wish you all a Hearty Congratulation and Good Luck for the future.
While I congratulate your activities, I also wish to convey little information, which should be adhered by every Member of TIST Small Groups:
a. Read your monthly Chezhumai thoroughly; follow the “Best Practices” given in the Chezhumai.
b. Have your Small Group Meetings regularly and let the other members of your group know your plan.
c. Attend to all the Node Meetings in full strength.
d. Handover your SGMR regularly (every month) only during the Node Meeting to avoid confusion during voucher payments.
e. Accompany the Quantifier/Auditor during his audit and have track of the count on trees/seedlings.
f. Do not have single kind of trees/seedlings; plant multiple species.
g. If the seedlings are in the polythene bags, arrange them in order for an easy/perfect quantification.
h. If the seedlings are spread on the ground bed, have it in the patches of one sq.m for an easy/perfect quantification.
i. While transplanting, give adequate spacing between each tree, so that, the trees will grow well and your Quantifier/Auditor will be able to do an easy/perfect quantification. In the case of casuarinas and eucalyptus, the minimum spacing between two trees should certainly be more than 1.25 m.
j. For any doubt with regard to TIST Tree Planting Program, contact your village coordinator or the TIST Officials immediately.
Growing Trees – Universal Need
Owh!! Its a fact, the prize amount works to 6 crores and 75 lakhs reaches a lady belonging to Kenya. She was Instrumental in inspiring the people around to plant around 3 crore trees. She is an environmental protector and is non other than," WANGARI MATHAI." - the Noble Prize Winner for the year. She is from Africa and the only successful applicant of the 194 recommendations made. TIST congratulates her on this achievement.
Now I hope that every one of us will realise the importance given universally for tree planting, which is the need of the hour and talk of the town. (Global Warming). Having heard of this, as TIST Small Group Members just feel proud and get involved fully in this great project of Tree planting. Most important is that, Wangari Mathai, started the Green Belt organization which is fully run with lady participants. (The Hindu - 9th October 2004).
TIST India
1. Mr. Prabakar Srinivasan, Project Manager.
2. Mr. A. Joseph, TIST Coordinator and Correspondent.
