Villupuram, March 9: Residents of the Auroville Foundation Colony in Tamil Nadu’s Villupuram have filed a complaint with the Villupuram Superintendent of Police. They are urging the authorities to stop the irregular sale of 7 acres of forest land owned by the Auroville Foundation.
The complaint states that the Auroville Foundation possesses a total of 3,400 acres in the Auroville region. In 2023, a portion of this land, amounting to 16 acres, was sold under a land exchange claim. Although the government valued this land at ₹150 per square foot, it was sold for just ₹16 per square foot.
Local residents are calling for a halt to the sale of the 7 acres of dense forest land, valued at ₹150 crores, to Vel Murugan. They are also demanding action against Jayanti Ravi, IAS, the secretary of the Auroville Foundation, to prevent further destruction of the forests.
Lawyer Senthil Kumar from Tiruvannamalai stated, “We have come to file a complaint regarding the Eternity Land. This land spans approximately 18 acres, and in exchange, they proposed to give about 7.5 acres of Eternity Land. The estimated value of this 7.5 acres is around ₹15 crores. They have taken 7.3 acres of land from Vel Murugan, the son of Tholamur Kannan. The market value of that land is approximately ₹1 crore or less, but they inflated its value to nearly ₹14 crores through valuation. The actual market value of this Eternity Land exceeds ₹150 crores, causing significant losses in stamp duty and revenue to the Auroville Foundation, the Puducherry government, and the Tamil Nadu government, as the Eternity Land is located in Kalapet, which is in Puducherry. The land being exchanged with Vel Murugan is in Villupuram district.”
Kumar further explained that this specific land was completely barren about 40 years ago. Since 1988, extensive planting has occurred, ensuring that everything remained safe during the tsunami. While devastation occurred on both sides, the 50 residents in this area were completely secure, making it an ideal example of coastal maintenance. The difference between this complaint and the previous one is that the exchange has not yet occurred, and it is imminent, so it is crucial to stop it now. They have requested immediate intervention from both the Puducherry and Tamil Nadu governments.
Today, we came to file a complaint with the SP on behalf of Mandakini, a resident of this Eternity Land. She has requested an additional six days for the DSP to take action on this matter.
Mandakini, a resident of the Auroville Foundation and petitioner, stated, “We have filed a complaint at the SP office regarding potential criminal activities involving fraud with the Auroville Foundation, Pondy Revenue, and the Tamil Nadu Revenue Department. I have lodged a complaint against the secretary of the foundation. Under her administration, these actions are taking place, so I have come to file a complaint against her, her administration, and her office staff. We have filed three other complaints with similar procedures.”
Mandakini mentioned that assurances were given that all complaints would be reviewed. The SP indicated that further information would be provided through the Kottakuppam police officer within six days. If necessary, additional documents and evidence would need to be submitted before the case proceeds.
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