Budget cuts

The Funds and Assets Management Committee appointed by the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation (FO-FAMC) and its subgroup the Budget Coordination Committee (FO-BCC) have cut all Aurovilian maintenances and all workers’ salaries of the Forest Group, and over 75% of the maintenances of Aurovilians working for farms. These cuts were communicated to only a few members of either group in emails signed by only two members of the FO FAMC and were implemented immediately. Also maintenance support to children has been cut alongside that of their parents in the case of Forest Group. This is the first time the Children's’ Maintenances have been cut – despite the fact that the FAMC and BCC of the Residents’ Assembly (RA-FAMC and RA-BCC) had amended the Children's’ Maintenance guidelines in October 2021, making all children eligible for this support regardless of the maintenance status of their parents.

So far, a total of 121 adult Aurovilians have seen their maintenance support cut by the FO-FAMC and FO-BCC, amounting to 13.6% of the Aurovilians supported by a City Services maintenance. The RA-BCC reported that, to its knowledge, no Bridging Maintenances or gratuity settlements have been made available to the Aurovilians and employees impacted.