Land and Estate Management

Auroville land policy

Auroville belongs to nobody in particular.
Auroville belongs to humanity as a whole.

In order to give effect to the first two lines of Auroville's Charter, the Funds and Assets Management Committee has agreed to the following land policy.

1 General Principles:

a. It is the intention that all land within the geographical region earmarked as the Auroville city and greenbelt areas, with the exception of the areas earmarked as village related areas, will be owned by the Auroville Foundation. The Auroville Foundation will hold the ownership of all lands in trust for humanity as a whole.

b. A Newcomer to Auroville, an Aurovilian or a Friend of Auroville will have no private ownership of land within the geographical region mentioned in the clause 1a above.

c. A Newcomer to Auroville, an Aurovilian or a Friend of Auroville who owns land in the geographical region mentioned in clause 1a above is requested to transfer those lands at the earliest possible to the Auroville Foundation, either by donation or, if such is not possible, by way of sale.

d. An Aurovilian or Friend of Auroville, who donates or sells the land which he or she singly or jointly owns in the geographical region mentioned in clause 1a above to another individual or to other individuals or to another corporate body than the Auroville Foundation, may, by that very fact, become disqualified to be Aurovilian.

2 Land Management:

a. All lands owned by the Auroville Foundation within and outside the geographical region mentioned in clause 1a above are under the management responsibility of the Funds and Assets Management Committee (FAMC). The FAMC will delegate
part of this responsibility to the Land and Estate Management Group. (LEM)

b. LEM will be responsible:

i) for maintaining a list of all land owned by the Auroville Foundation. This list will identify the lands as per acreage, R.S. No., village in which it is located and year of purchase. The list will also mention the names of the Aurovilians, units or working groups which have been allocated the stewardship of respective lands.

ii) for managing all lands whose stewardship has not been allocated to individual Aurovilians, units or working groups.

iii) for payment of all land taxes.

iv) to deal with all land related problems such as disputes regarding land usage and land ownership etc.

c. Individual Aurovilians, units or working groups who have been allocated the stewardship of Auroville lands will report once yearly to the FAMC about the status of the land.

d. The Development Group with the approval of the FAMC will be responsible for the allocation and re-allocation of the stewardship of lands to working groups, units and/or individuals.

3 Land Purchase, sale and exchange:

a. All land purchase, sales and exchanges require the prior approval of the Governing Board of the Auroville Foundation, represented by the Secretary.

b. LEM is responsible for all purchases of land. All land purchases require the prior approval of the Working Committee.

c. LEM is responsible for all sale and exchange of land. All sale or exchange of land requires the prior approval of the Working Committee and the FAMC.

d. If so deemed necessary by the FAMC, the Development Group will make a proposal to prioritize lands for purchase and/or sale for approval by the FAMC.

e. In all transactions regarding land, our uppermost policy will be the well being and welfare of the villages and villagers in the city and green belt area.

f. Transactions regarding land must bear the imprint of high standards of integrity, honesty and fair play.

g. It shall be part of Auroville policy that Auroville land shall not be mortgaged.

Approved FAMC meeting

May 2, 2000.