65th GB meeting. Excerpts.

The Board in-principle approved the construction of a boundary wall around the inner circle of the outer ring road. As the costs of erecting a barbed wire fencing are cheaper to the tune of about 50% to the cost for prefabricated cement structure, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) submitted a revised quotation for Rs.18.69 crores. The GB approved the work as per the revised estimates of the CPWD.

The Board approved starting an Atal Community Innovation Centre in Auroville with a matching contribution of Rs.2.5 Crore. [The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog is a Government of India’s flagship initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country and was set up in 2016, eds].

The Board has noted the MoU signed between IIT, Madras and the Auroville Foundation and approved the allocation of 105 acres of land for the said proposal. [no details on the MoU were included in the minutes, eds.]

The Board approved the Donation Channeling Process framed by the GB-FAMC which provides for an online portal for registration of projects for which donations are to be raised, regarding processes involved in disbursement of donated funds to the projects, furnishing quarterly reports to the donors and checks to monitor the projects continuously. The Board also formed a committee to monitor the donation channeling processes.

The Board approved the loan proposal of the GB-FAMC to provide support to existing units and startups of Auroville by providing loans from the capital available with Auroville which are at present in fixed deposits with banks. The loans will be processed by a Loan Management Team and on its recommendation, loans will be approved by a Loan Approval Team.

The Board approved seeking extension of time for implementation of the Auroville Master Plan (Perspective 2025), until 2035.

The Board approved to create three posts at Deputy Secretary level to (i) handle security related matters; (ii) accounts & audit related matters and for (iii) general administration of the Office of the Foundation. This will provide sufficient time for the Secretary to concentrate on policy issues and development of Auroville as per the Master Plan to make it a vibrant city with the spiritual and economic wellbeing of all the residents.

The Board approved engaging a retired Delhi Development Authority Officer for an initial period of six months to frame, finalise and notify Green Space Regulations to ensure proper management and development of the green belt.

The Board gave its in-principle approval for the draft “Auroville Universal Township Area, Green Belt Area and constitution of Town Development Council Regulations” which aim at controlling non-conforming/unplanned developments in Auroville Township area and Green Belt Area so that development is regulated only in terms of Master Plan (Perspective 2025). Regulations will encourage the general and ‘green development’, which shall be characterized by prescribed Zoning & Development promotion Regulations including Maximum Ground Coverage, permissible land use, and use activities to foster sustainable development & green living, and to combat the threat of intensive non-conforming unauthorized developments in and around the universal town and envisaged Green Belt around the universal township area.