Chamarajanagar district in Karnataka, bordered by Tamil Nadu and Kerala, comprises 446 villages with a population of approximately 9.64 lakhs as of the 2001 census. The district's growth rate ranges from 8.2% in Chamarajanagar to 10.9% in Kollegal Taluk, with about 84% residing in rural areas. The largest taluk, Kollegal, holds around 304,621 people, with 32% being from SC/ST backgrounds, while 15.6% make up the urban population.

However, despite sincere efforts to enhance the well-being of tribal communities, the desired outcomes have not been realized due to persistent challenges stemming from social, cultural, and economic factors.

• Limited literacy rates.

• Insufficient access to healthcare.

• Scarcity of suitable job prospects.

• Inadequate understanding of agriculture.

• Prevalence of landlessness and reliance on agricultural labor.

• Exploitation by non-tribal groups.

• Lack of proper infrastructure in settlements.

• Social problems such as migration driven by alcohol consumption.

In the pursuit of developing a Micro plan, the focus has been placed on four villages. These villages, namely Havinamule, Hyriambala, Hosapodu, and Kathekalpodu (K.K.Podu), located in the Kollegal taluka of Chamaraj Nagar district, have been carefully chosen due to their distinctive characteristics. These include the presence of tribal communities, economic hardships, lack of infrastructure, remote locations, and a prevalence of landless families.

The aim of this study is to create a thorough Micro plan that fosters the all-encompassing growth of tribal communities. This will be achieved by engaging all relevant parties, including tribal members, PRI Members, government officials, school teachers, and village leaders, to ensure a collaborative approach.

Initial talks occurred with the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Planning Officer of Zilla Panchayath, Chamaraj Nagar. The Chief Planning Officer, along with representatives from NIRD and Oasis Foundation, visited chosen tribal colonies, clarifying the Micro plan's objective and soliciting stakeholder cooperation. Teachers from relevant villages were engaged from the project's outset.

A systematic approach was followed to craft the Micro plan, ensuring broad stakeholder involvement:

• An initial meeting with the community introduced participating organizations and elucidated the holistic development's purpose, Micro plan components, participatory approach's significance, stakeholder roles, and task execution.

• A comprehensive baseline survey format was designed for both village and family levels, facilitating primary data collection.

• Participatory rural appraisals were conducted per village, engaging the community in comprehending their village's baseline situation and holistic development requirements.

• Village Development Committees were established and members trained to empower them for autonomous village planning.

• The plan underwent cross-verification via stakeholder interactions, leading to the finalization of the Micro plan.

Three PRAs was conducted involving the most of the community in the village. The main purpose of the PRA was to create awareness /educate about their village situation and enabling them about the development needs for their own village, Family and land. Following exercise done during PRA

Social Mapping, Venn diagram, Seasonality, time line etc.

• In KK Podu village: 3 houses built, 2.5 KM Solar fencing by Forest Department for wildlife protection, 50 meters of CC Road constructed.

• In the village: 4 solar lights installed, 14 families received cooking gas, and 3 families got new house constructions.

• In Hyriambala village: 50 meters of CC Road under construction, 5 families received new houses.

• Village Development Committees (VDCs) empowered for integrated village development plans; detailed village-wise plans in Annexures IV, V, VI, VII.

Five training sessions were held for village development committee members, covering various topics:

• Introduction to partner organization's role in holistic village development preparation.

• Understanding different departments, programs, and relevant officials.

• VMicro plan creation for model village development.

• Clarification of committee roles in village development and liaising with PRI members.

• Orientation on Micro-planning importance, along with Village Development Committee responsibilities.

• Insights into diverse agricultural crops and their scientific management.

• Integrated approaches to crop management, emphasizing soil testing's significance.

In 2014, a crop demonstration program was initiated in response to village development committee demands and interests, involving forty families from four villages, chosen proportionately based on size and family count. Selection criteria included regular attendance at VDC meetings, proficiency in agriculture, and responsible resource use. Despite the delayed monsoon, the committee procured seeds and fertilizers for main crops (Ragi and Maize) after dropping Cotton due to weather conditions, with committee members actively participating in material selection and transportation.

The crop demonstration program provided fertilizer, including Urea, DAP, NPK, Gypsum, and Zinc, in the recommended quantities from the Agriculture department. Seeds distributed included GPU-28 Ragi variety, C-152 Cow pea variety for intercropping in 25 families, and PH Maize variety for 15 families.