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Land exchanges carried out by Auroville Foundation in the recent years were questioned by RA WCom, International Advisory Council and the matter was raised in the Parilament by MPs of the ruling and opposition parties from Tamil Nadu. The Ministers of Education replied that the complaints were forwarded to Auroville Foundation which is the “competent authority” to look into the matter. The RA WCom and also the MPs questioned the propriety of asking the Foundation to look into the allegations against itself.
A writ petition filled at the Madras High Court in March 2024 praying to “Restrain the Auroville Foundation from land exchanges without following the procedures laid down in the Auroville Foundation Rules 1997 and General Financial Rules 2017 and “declare the land exchanges carried out since 2021 as invalid and to cancel the land deeds” was dismissed by a single judge on 4th March 2025. (See details in the article linked below)
Exactly three months before the judgment, the 68th Governing Board was held in Auroville on 5th December 2024. In the meeting, the GB decided "to form a one-member Committee by a retired High Court Judge to look into the allegations and furnish a report to the GB". A copy of the minutes of the meeting dt. 30th January 2025 "obtained through an RTI filed by an individual to the Ministry of Education" was received from RA WCom by massmail on 20th April (See the extract of the minute linked below)
It is seen from the above minutes, the terms of reference for the one-member Committee approved by the Governing Board requires the Committee “To record the process of land acquisition followed by the Auroville Foundation since the year 1991 and how the process undergone changes over a period of time”. It also states, “The Committee may co-opt experts from the relevant fields such as Revenue Department, Land Registration Department, Police Department etc. as may be required to assist in preparation of its report.”
The Minutes has not been posted and there is no information regarding the formation or commencement of the one-member Committee, on the website of Auroville Foundation, yet.
RA WCom has sent a letter to the GB on 16th April on its "Concerns regarding decisions of the 68th Governing Board meeting held on 05.12.2024". Among the listed concerns is "Exclusion of the Residents' Assembly" under which it has protested at the lack of "formal consultation with the Residents' Assembly as a statutory body". There is no comment in the letter on the GB's decision to form a one-member Committee by a judge to look into the allegations on land exchanges.
Extract of the Minute of the GB
Related previous articles:
Act/rule applies for land sale, not exchange: HC dismisses Krishna’s petition
Member of Parliament from Tamil Nadu demands CBI probe into Auroville Foundation land exchanges
International Advisory Council, Auroville Foundation urges halt to land exchanges