A New Town Development Authority for Auroville?

At the end of February, the New Town Development Task Force made a presentation of its work to the community. They explained that, following last year’s recommendations of the Land Protection Status Study Group and the Working Committee, the Task Force has started a dialogue with the Town and Country Planning Office (TCPO) of Tamil Nadu to discuss the possibility of the Government of Tamil Nadu constituting a New Town Development Authority (NTDA) for the Auroville township – based on the Master Plan and upon Auroville’s values – under the Tamil Nadu Town and Planning Act.

This initiative was spurred by the fact that outsiders are planning large real estate projects within the Master Plan area that have no relation to the Plan and threaten its integrity, and that uncontrolled village development is also compromising efforts that Auroville has made over the years to integrate Auroville and village development.

The powers of a New Town Development Authority have been defined in the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act. After such an Authority is established, a detailed development plan will have to be made for the area, which, in the case of Auroville, should be the Auroville Master Plan. Once this plan is approved by the NTDA, all planning and development approvals on the land under its jurisdiction would have to comply with the approved detailed development plan, irrespective of who owns the land.

The Task Force explained that this status would formalise recognition of the Auroville international township and confirm the Master Plan as the reference document for all future development within the Master Plan area.

However, it noted that the Master Plan and the detailed development plan would be subject to public review and the NTDA might integrate requests by non-Aurovilians for alteration of the proposed detailed development plan. Furthermore, Auroville may not be represented on the membership of the constituted Authority as the nomination of its members would rest with with the Tamil Nadu government.

The Task Force pointed out that the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Office has a statutory right over planning and land development and is entitled to propose at any time its own Master Plan for Auroville. By collaborating with this Office, Auroville has a good chance of having its own Master Plan used for the constitution of the NTDA. It is the role of the Task Force to guarantee that this new planning authority for Auroville will be delivered on these terms only.

Auroville’s Town Development Council has submitted a memorandum in November, 2014, defining the aims and goals of the proposed NTDA. The matter is now under discussion with various officials of the Tamil Nadu Government. A site inspection of the area covered by the proposed NTDA is planned to take place shortly, with all the officials involved.

Responses

While Aurovilians attending the meeting appreciated the work of the Task Force, given the magnitude of the threats to the integrity of the land in the city area and green belt, a number of questions were raised and concerns expressed. The biggest concern, of course, is that Auroville could lose control over its own planning and development. For example, is it possible that the new Authority could allow villagers owning land in the city to construct big buildings on their land?

The reply was that once the NTDA has been constituted and if the Master Plan is adopted as the basis of the development plan, then the Auroville Master Plan would be enforceable. It would not prevent non-Aurovilian landowners in the Master Plan area developing their land but they would have to comply with the development plan.

But what about flexibility? Not everybody is happy with the present Master Plan. Would the creation of an NTDA mean the Master Plan would be set in stone, impossible to change?

One member of the Task Force conceded that any planning document, like the Auroville Master Plan, that had been drawn up 20 years ago would need changes. The NTDA must recognise the evolutionary nature of Auroville and of the Auroville Master Plan itself, and allow for constant changes. “It is not up to the NTDA to step in and say that there was a road here so we insist that this road is built. That much assurance we must have. As I see it, if we do not feel that we are going to be permitted that kind of freedom then there is no point in entering into this kind of arrangement.”

A member of the Advisory Group of our Town Development Council (TDC) added that Auroville’s Master Plan explicitly mentions that the Plan is only a flexible framework, and that every five years a detailed development plan has to be developed, taking into account the experience gained in the previous five years. Moreover, our Master Plan defines the prescribed authority, and that is our Town Development Council. “So if the NTDA accepts Auroville’s Master Plan, it has to accept it in total, including the process by which development plans are made and approved in Auroville.”

The NTDA is a regulating body, it is only there to assist in implementation, clarified another member of the Task Force. It cannot impose any development, it cannot force Auroville to make a road just because it is in the Master Plan. He felt that the NTDA is our best option at present. “The Tamil Nadu Government itself, which understands our predicament very well, is telling us this. An even better option would be to become a Special Development Authority. But this is not possible in Tamil Nadu at present. If this does become possible we should follow that option, but this may take many years and would need the support of all the political parties, so in the meantime we should pursue NTDA status.”

The NTDA is not a silver bullet, admitted another member of the Task Force. “It will not protect us one hundred percent from unwanted development. All it would do is to recognise the Master Plan and to create the detailed development plan that defines what can be built where and how.” The best protection would be if Auroville bought all the land necessary for the project of Auroville, but that seems out of reach at present.

Another Task Force member added that once the NTDA is in place, all large developments beyond our control in the Master Plan area will be stopped, and it is likely that land prices will come down because developers will not be able to speculate.

The constitution of the NTDA

Of course, if Aurovilians were represented on the new Authority, there would be more confidence in the future actions of an NTDA. So why may Aurovilians not be on it?

It was explained that while the Tamil Nadu Government may nominate some people who are close to Auroville, as the NTDA will not only cover the Auroville township but also some of the villages that interface with the Auroville area, it would be better if Aurovilians were not part of this new system. The NTDA has to be perceived as a neutral, objective Tamil Nadu government body that is for the benefit not only of Auroville, but also of the whole region.

Then who will be on the NTDA asked someone? If they are local politicians, isn’t there a danger they will listen more to their constituents, their voters, than to the Aurovilians?

There are eight members in an NTDA, all of which are appointed by the Tamil Nadu Government, was the reply. Three are ex-officio members, including the local MLA and the Chairman of the Local Planning Authority. However, we can ask the Government to nominate people of national status who have Auroville in their hearts.

“It is true”, admitted a member of the TDC Advisory Group, “that the moment you deal with governments and bureaucracies there are grey areas. What is hopeful, however, is that most of these authorities are not proactive but reactive. You go to them with your plan for approval. They do not come with their own plans.”

The community process

At this point, questions about the community process were raised. “This sounds like a done deal,” complained someone, noting that the residents had never been asked if they approved of Auroville adopting the NTDA option.

A member of the Task Force replied that there had been three general meetings on the topic last year, and the Status Study Group had published a report on the Intranet, following which the Town Development Council had constituted this Task Force.

But holding general meetings is not getting approval from the community, observed somebody else. The Task Force was put together to study this issue, not to implement it. Now the Task Force should give its recommendation to the community, provide all the relevant information and then the Residents Assembly should decide whether or not it wants to take this route.

In fact, an earlier communication to the community from the Status Study Group had explicitly said that a Residents’ Assembly should endorse the final proposal. But a member of the TDC Advisory Group cautioned against a prolonged collective decision-making process. “I strongly recommend to this meeting, I mean the last word is with the Residents Assembly, but not again to go through a one or two-year process of consultations because the outside world is developing at top speed. So give this idea a chance knowing that it is not perfect and leaving space for grace.”

Not everyone was convinced. “You are just going forward on goodwill with a lot of hope that it will go the right way and it can easily go the wrong way. Nobody is addressing what could happen if it goes the wrong way,” observed someone.

What next? In the News and Notes of 28th March, 2015, the Auroville Council stated that they are studying a community process concerning the NTDA proposal. The issue is complex. The development threats we are facing are huge, yet there are major uncertainties and risks surrounding the NDTA option. Hopefully, the community can make a wise and expeditious decision after it has been presented with the best information available in a way that can be easily understood.