After three unsuccessful attempts to set up an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus in Goa, the government is taking another shot; this time, the area is at Rivona in Sanguem taluka. The South Goa collector has issued a public notice to acquire land measuring 10.51 lakh sqmts under the Procurement of Land under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013 for direct purchase on a priority basis.
In remote Rivona, there may be no fierce opposition because a chunk of land belongs to 'outside' parties. The question, however, is over this idea of setting up the campus in the Mole ward of Rivona, an area mainly with plantations and wholly cut off from everyday life and miles away from other infrastructural facilities.
The government's steadfast commitment to setting up IIT is visible since it has swiftly moved across multiple locations ” From Bhagwati Plateau in Canacona to Melaulim in Sattari, then Cotarli in Sanguem and finally Rivona, also in Sanguem. The common thread that weaves through all failed attempts is the opposition of the local populace. The rejection points have been environmental and ecological damage to the area in question, the displacement of ordinary citizens, the threat to livelihoods and the lack of clarity on a rehabilitation plan.
Massive public agitations have seen people fighting with their backs to the wall, trying to ward off all pressure from the establishment, even to the extent of facing lathis, physical assaults and legal battles. The government had to beat a retreat from all the three earlier areas that were identified for the campus. We have seen how the arrogance and defiance shown by the local political leadership representing the government have been grounded with fierce agitations like the one witnessed in Melauli, threatening to consume anything and everything that came in the way.
For the sheer luck of the Cotarli locals, the land was considered insufficient for the campus, again exposing the lack of foresight and the inordinate hurry the State government is showing. It was bizarre that a project was initiated without factoring in the quantum of land required.
The most critical issue that currently faces Goa is land development. From zoning plans to infrastructure development, there has been stiff resistance from citizens, environmentalists and activists because the definition of inclusive development has changed. Development plans are being prepared without any consultative process, and people are not taken into confidence in the pre-planning stage. There is a veil of secrecy, and when officials visit sites and demarcate trees and boundaries, people realise that a project is on the cards. This is appalling.
The benefits of IIT to Goa have been long debated, with arguments lined up on both sides, and it is obvious that setting up the institute is more of a prestige issue than achieving any academic goals. The job generation theory is also hollow.
While the government initiates the process once again, this time at Rivona, we hope that lessons of the past are learnt. The prestigious IIT project getting rejected is embarrassing to the government and the State, who are boasting a high literacy rate and betting on technology.
