Dear Residents,
You may have recently received two massbulletins sent from [email protected] regarding the RoR and House tax, signed by ‘the Working Committee’. These were not written by the Working Committee selected by the RA. For future reference, all mails sent by us are signed with our names.
We would like to clarify that there is no link between the updating of the RoR and the survey of assets for determination of House Tax. House inspections are not required for updating the Register of Residents or for calculating House Tax. Auroville has been paying House Tax to the Panchayats for many years through the Financial Service, without ever having needed a house inspection. The calculation of House Tax that Auroville pays is based on the type and general size of the buildings and not on who occupies them, since in Auroville the occupants are not the ‘owners’.
If approached, Aurovilians may cooperate with the updating of the RoR by verifying information previously submitted, to authorised members of the Office of the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation. However, it is entirely up to each Aurovilian to decide whether to welcome visiting members from working groups not selected by the Residents’ Assembly into their living spaces, especially when they act in a manner and with the intent to harass. The stay order issued on the judgement of the 12th of August has not granted legitimacy to any of the working groups appointed by the Office of the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation. The recent Emergency RA Decision rejected the Office Orders appointing their members, which unequivocally means that the residents disapprove of these persons as their representatives.
We hope that the RoR is updated swiftly and without concern.
With best wishes,
Your Working Committee
Aravinda, Bharathy, Chali, Hemant, Maël, Sauro, Valli