Satprem’s report – technical issues and tendering
Satprem Maïni, head of the Auroville Earth Institute, has written his latest report on the Crown Road Works. In it, he details the technical issues with the latest plans for the road, which do not seem to follow any Indian or international guidelines. His report was shared with the Governing Board and other relevant authorities.
Satprem also points out that the tender for the latest iteration of the road was only published on January 12th, 2022 with a deadline of 21st January, while the first precast pieces were delivered on-site on 28th January. As any piece of reinforced cement concrete needs to be cured for 4 weeks before being moved, it seems possible that the tender was already allocated before going through the official process – if true then this would be a clear legal violation.
Satprem reported other concerns regarding the Crown Road construction including a waste of GOI funds due to the destruction of 1300m of the old Crown Road despite the pavers having many more years of use.