*RA WCom: Note to the community regarding emails from 'famc@auroville.org.in'*
Dear community,
We write to you regarding emails that several people have received from the GB-FAMC with the request to vacate at the earliest the Auroville assets they are stewarding to make way for roads or ‘lines of force’. It is not in the direct purview of the GB-FAMC to take on matters of planning and development. As you may be aware, the ATDC constituted by the GB under Section 16 of the Auroville Foundation (AVF) Act, which had been directing such work, has been declared invalid by the Madras High Court judgment of *15th March 2024* ( https://drive.google.com/file/d/120T3uASanOjC-d365w5iE5-rmfCrvnKI/view?usp=sharing ).
Legal notices regarding this have been sent to the CPWD and the AVF office on *8th April 2024* ( https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BTGDvCbPVIbamYVwk5Y2KykvcOqW0vR4/view?usp=sharing ), and separately to the 'ATDC' on *15th March 2024* ( https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OF2IHfJ5M8igrtcVKPjpFbryPgq9B_Ax/view?usp=sharing ).
Therefore we question the decisions of the ATDC on this basis, as well as the fact that it did not have a GB member, which is a requirement of any committee constituted by the GB under Section 16 of the Act.
Additionally, the 'GB-FAMC' was also constituted by the GB under Section 16 of the Act so the only member with 'voting rights', i.e. decision-making power, is the ex-officio GB member named in the Standing Order. The relevant minutes of the FAMC, signed by this GB member, in which he authorises this decision, should be shared when such demands are being made.
With the above in mind, we do not recognise the decisions taken by these groups.
In case you or someone you know also receives a letter from the GB-FAMC with this type of request, it is good to ask questions such as under which authority they are acting and for the detailed plans of the area. Another important action would be, in case any workers or other individuals appear onsite, to ask them for work orders. If they cannot show any, then ask for a supervisor to come onsite with a work order, and then show them the legal notices and court ruling.
Please contact us if you receive such a communication or if someone shows up onsite. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
in Service,
The Working Committee of the RA (Aravinda, Bharathy, Chali, Mael (TOS), Sauro, Valli)
L’avenir d’Auroville (Anan, Divya L, Dorle, Island, Lata I, Natasha S, Tom G)