1.10       ADMINISTRATIVE SET-UP

1.10.1     The Auroville Foundation Act, 1988, enacted by the Government of India, provides for the establishment of the Auroville Foundation with a view to making long-term arrangements for the better management and further development of Auroville in accordance with its original Charter and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. The Auroville Foundation comprises the following three authorities:

1.10.2       The Foundation's functions also include monitoring and review of Auroville activities, preparation of a Master Plan for Auroville in consultation with the Residents Assembly, ensuring the development of Auroville as so planned and co-ordinating the raising of funds for Auroville as well as the disbursement thereof for achieving the ideals of Auroville.

1.10.3        The Governing Board, consisting of eminent and senior persons, including nominees of the Central Government, have the overall responsibility for the proper management and development of Auroville. The Chairman and Secretary of the Governing Board are appointed by the Government of India. The Governing Board is responsible for promoting the ideals of Auroville and for co-ordinating the activities and services of Auroville in consultation with the Residents Assembly for the purpose of cohesion and integration of Auroville. It also reviews the basic policies and programmes of Auroville and gives necessary directions for the future development of Auroville. It also gives its consent to the programme of Auroville drawn up by the Residents Assembly.

1.10.4        The Residents Assembly, comprising all the residents of Auroville over the age of 18, organizes the various activities of Auroville and decides upon the terms of their membership. The Residents Assembly selects a Working Committee from its own members to represent itself with the Governing Board and the Secretary to the Foundation. The Residents Assembly is also required to formulate the Master Plan of Auroville for the approval of the Governing Board.

1.10.5       The International Advisory Council is a body with eminent persons both from India and abroad who act as advisors to the Governing Board and the Residents' Assembly. The present membership of the Governing Board and the International Advisory Council may be seen in Appendix I.

1.10.6        The Role of the Community: As far as the preparation of the Master Plan is concerned, the Residents' Assembly has a very important role to play. According to section 17 (e) of the Auroville Foundation Act, the Governing Board is, in consultation with the Residents Assembly, responsible for the formulation and implementation of the Master Plan.

1.10.7     There are two important councils, namely the Executive Council and the Development Council. A number of groups have been constituted to manage specific aspects of Auroville's complex organisation, such as Entry Group, Economy Group, Funds and Assets Management Committee, Land and Estate Management, Project Co-ordination Group, etc. Appendix II indicates the responsibilities of the different working groups in Auroville. The Development Council oversees the planning and monitoring aspects of Auroville's physical development, while the Project Co-ordination Group assists working groups and project agencies in the formulation and funding of projects.

1.10.8       There is thus a considerable amount of autonomy in the preparation and implementation of projects which has been very helpful in motivating Aurovilians to participate in all developmental activities of the township. It has yet to achieve full co-ordination in order to meet the central objective of Auroville's development as envisioned by the Mother. However, in order to plan and implement the Master Plan (Perspective: 2025) effectively, a separate outfit as part of the Foundation set-up would be necessary.

1.10.9       Service Agencies: Auroville has at present a number of service units which look after water supply, power and communication, roads and waste management. They are Auroville Water Service, Auroville Electrical Service, Auroville Telephone Service, Auroville Road Service and Auroville Eco-Service. These services are maintained through service charges from users and contributions from Auroville's Central Maintenance Fund.

1.10.10        There is one Auroville centralised purchasing and distribution service known as "Pour Tous" (For All). It operates like a departmental store for daily necessities. There is no cash transactions, the entire system works on credit through maintenance of individual accounts. Pour Tous building / facilities presently located just on the periphery of the township is proposed to be relocated in the Crown area and it will have a number of outlets in the township.

1.10.11          With regard to the law and order situation, although there is no specific police station in the township, police liaison services are available to meet any emergency situation. In this context, it would be pertinent to mention that the Mother had a vision for Auroville: "No army, no police, they are replaced by a battalion of guards consisting of athletes and gymnasts". Accordingly, an Auroville Guard consisting of young volunteers are available to provide this service.