News & Notes 616:Land Board Mandate

News & Notes 616 26 September 2015

Entity::Land Board Mandate

Constitution of the Land Board

1. The Residents’ Assembly shall constitute a Land Board whose members shall be appointed directly by the Residents’ Assembly or by a committee constituted by it for the purpose.

2. The Land Board shall consist of seven members, at least six of whom have been resident for a minimum period of 5 years.

3. The Residents’ Assembly or such other committee constituted by it will ensure that the members are qualified for the work to be done and that they have the required communication and organizational skills.

4. The members of the Land Board shall hold office for a period of three years but after completion of every two years two members shall retire and two new members shall be appointed in their place. Outgoing members are eligible for re-appointment, after a process of two weeks community feedback.

5. The Residents’ Assembly, at any time, will have the right to remove any of the members of the Land Board and replace them with other persons as members if it considers that it is in the larger interest of the community of Auroville.

6. Any vacancy arising either by way of resignation, expiry of term of office, or otherwise, shall be filled up by the Residents’ Assembly or by the committee constituted by it for the purpose after consultation with the members of the Land Board.

Mandate of the Land Board

The Land Board will have the following mandate:

Land Protection

The Auroville Land Board is responsible for protecting all lands of Auroville. This includes:

1. Dealing with all land related issues such as disputes regarding land possession and land ownership;
2. Filing of police complaints and FIRs on all land related matters;
3. Employing legal counsels to advise the Land Board on all land related matters;
4. Employing legal counsels to represent the Auroville Foundation in court on all land related matters and to coordinate and follow through the progress of the initiated or pending judicial proceedings.
5. After consultation with the FAMC, employ legal counsels to initiate court proceedings representing the Auroville Foundation on land related matters;
6. Providing adequate protection such as fencing of lands under its stewardship and/or vulnerable areas.
7. In case of lands under recognized stewardship, the land steward will extend full cooperation to enable the Land Board to effectively carry out its duties.

Land Purchase, Sale and Exchange

1. The Land Board is responsible for all purchases of land for the Auroville Foundation and for all sales and exchanges of land belonging to Auroville Foundation.
2. All land purchases, sales and exchanges require the prior approval of the Working Committee, the Funds and Assets Management Committee and the Governing Board of the Auroville Foundation represented by the Secretary in accordance with the Auroville Foundation Rules 1997.
3. The Land Board shall, in cooperation with the land officers of the Auroville Foundation, verify all documents required for any land transaction, before submitting any proposal for land purchase, sale or exchange.
4. The Land Board shall ensure that all transactions regarding land bear the imprint of high standards of integrity, honesty and fair play.
5. The Land Board will take possession of all newly acquired lands and issue a report about its status to the FAMC after physical verification.
6. The Land Board will assist the Town Development Council as and when needed to monitor new developments taking place in the Master Plan area on privately owned lands (such as changes in the pattern of lands use, attempts to create undesirable development etc.) and support the TDC in taking necessary action.

Land Stewardship

The Auroville Land Board will assume the stewardship of all lands owned by the Auroville Foundation of which the stewardship has not been allocated by the FAMC and / or the TDC to any other unit, working group, community or individual.

Land Records and Management

1. The Auroville Land Board will assist the Auroville Foundation in maintaining complete records of all lands owned by Auroville.
2. The Land Board will be responsible for the proper storage and sale of all timber and firewood collected from land areas under its responsibility in accordance with the wood sales policy.

Fundraising for land

The Land Board shall assist in fundraising for land as required by Auroville recognized working groups.

Method of Functioning of the Land Board

1. The Land Board in interaction with the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation and the Working Committee will establish good working relationships with the local and state administration officials.
2. The Land Board members will decide amongst themselves the areas for work, coordination and the timings of their meetings.
3. The Land Board will meet regularly and keep minutes of its meetings.
4. The Land Board may appoint legal counselors, land assessors, surveyors and administrative staff in consultation with the FAMC.
5. Revenues from the lands of Auroville under the responsibility of the Land Board will be utilized or transferred as per the directions of FAMC.
6. The Land Board will be granted a suitable budget for land and estate management, land protection, land purchases, land exchanges and land sales, and for all matters relating to its administration and management.
7. The Land Board will maintain accounts in the format designated by the FAMC. The Land Board will submit the yearly balance sheet to the Auroville Foundation.

Reporting of the Land Board

1. The Land Board will submit a quarterly report of its functioning to the FAMC and publish monthly an abbreviated version in the News and Notes and on the AuroNet which includes the land exchanges, land sales or land purchases made.
2. The Land Board will prepare a six monthly report for the Governing Board.