Auroville Community Nostr Relay on Nostr: *RA WCom: Report on Land Exchanges* Dear Community, We would like to share with you ...

*RA WCom: Report on Land Exchanges*

Dear Community,

We would like to share with you some information regarding land exchanges and transactions that have taken place in the last 2 years. Below is a short summary. (Attached is a detailed report (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TIvjcWmmYyAVkcI6Uc_WMBLSAkEeOIoW/view), a spreadsheet (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TIvjcWmmYyAVkcI6Uc_WMBLSAkEeOIoW/view) with a list (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U3aYsXJ4aePKroFtzizPKUmbVAUWDqcH/view) of land exchanges that we have discovered that have taken place since 2022 and the conservatively estimated value we believe Auroville has lost, and a map (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NZLe4cWuol_gD-NcOQy8jkBLWysO_Vtr/view) of the plots involved. Note 1: The blue and pink dots on the plots indicate that the exact extent and location of land exchanged on these plots is not sure. Note 2: We are sharing what we know, but there may be other exchanges of which we are unaware.)

As we all know, Auroville is facing governance and financial mismanagement challenges, including opaque and dubious land exchanges conducted by the Auroville Foundation's Governing Board and related bodies.

Key concerns include:
1.Lack of transparency in recent land exchanges, bypassing consultation with key committees and stakeholders.
2. Allegations of undervaluation of Auroville lands, resulting in significant (more than ₹150 Crores or US $18 million) financial losses.
3. Disregard for established procedures, including independent valuation and government approvals.
4. Failure to uphold the principles of mandatory community (Residents’ Assembly) consultation and adherence to Auroville's founding ideals.

Actions taken include:
1. Requests for government intervention to freeze ongoing land exchange deals and conduct independent investigations.
2. Legal notices sent to authorities regarding violations of finance rules and lack of consultation.
3. Concerns raised about the secrecy surrounding land exchanges and conflicts of interest among involved parties.

The situation calls for immediate intervention to halt all land exchanges and address malpractices in order to  ensure transparency and adherence to proper processes and Auroville's principles.

If you have any questions please write to workingcom@auroville.services.

In service,

The Working Committee of the RA
Aravinda, Bharathy, Chali, Mael (TOS), Matthieu, Prashant (TOS), Valli