The controversy over the previous government’s decision to set up an IIT institute at Loliem, Canacona is not yet over, but Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has given it a welcome twist. Speaking at a function at Ponda, Parrikar said if the people of Canacona do not want the IIT it will be shifted to a new site if land is made available. In response, PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar said the technology institute could be constructed on either the Priol plateau or Agapur. That does not really settle the issue of setting up an IIT in the State, although the people of Loliem will heave a sigh of relief.
One thing is clear. The chief minister has an open mind on the issue. He is willing to reconsider the decision to locate the IIT at Canacona and this alone signals a willingness to engage with the people, hear them out and take their objections on board. Loliem residents had raised issues concerning the environment and destruction of virgin land. They also had serious doubts about the development story sold to them by the previous government.
In this case, Loliem represents the small picture, or the brush strokes on the larger picture, which is about making Goa an education hub and raising its profile. One cannot blame the people of Loliem for not seeing the larger picture, because the fact is, the larger picture seems to be quite hazy. Dhavalikar is of the view the presence of an IIT will raise the per capita income of Ponda and will provide locals with jobs. This claim has been made in the absence of a socio-economic impact report.
IITs are premier technology institutes which draw students from across the country. Unlike the National Institute of Technology, there is no reservation for students of Goa in an IIT because entry is strictly by merit. In other words, local students do not benefit by having an IIT in the State. The presence of a large number of students in any given area should automatically increase business in the area, but this does not necessarily happen because IITs are self-contained units. The number of jobs available to locals and the salary range is also not clear. There will be a lot of jobs during the construction phase, but this cannot be the reason for building an IIT.
The rationale behind starting an IIT in Goa has not been clearly spelled out. The benefits, if any exist, are vague. And in such a situation it was only natural for the people of Loliem to ask uncomfortable questions. Like Parsekar before him, Parrikar too has not answered the crucial question of how an IIT benefits Goa and shifting the project will only transfer the problem, not resolve it.
