PANAJI
The jinx around the hunt for land to locate the campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Goa is seemingly threading into the zone of controversy again with reports of moves to displace the Goa Engineering College from its Farmagudi campus.
The issue was raised by Madkaim MLA, Sudin Dhavlikar but Chief Minister Pramod Sawant rubbished the claim saying no such proposal is before his government and accused the MGP supremo of raking it up to stay politically relevant.
A few months ago, the Goa government scrapped the plan to locate the IIT campus at the Melaulim plateau after a sustained agitation by locals a few months ago.
The fresh row of the IIT physically replacing the GEC at Farmagudi, was triggered by Dhavalikar.
He claimed that GEC will be moved out of Farmagudi and IIT-Goa campus located there.
"Moves are afoot to shift the Goa Engineering College from Farmagudi to make way for the IIT-Goa campus," Dhavlikar had said, adding that it would be sad if GEC is displaced from its campus as thousands of engineers have passed out from there.
Goa had been allotted the IIT in 2014 and is functioning temporarily from a campus it is sharing of the Goa Engineering College.
Responding to Dhavalikar's claim, Sawant said that a committee has been formed by the government, comprising officers and faculty from IIT-Goa, which is in the process of scouting the land.
"There has never been a proposal before the government to shift Goa Engineering College from Farmagudi," Sawant said, adding it will stay where it is.
"Some politicians are struggling to find relevance by spreading fake news," Sawant said, taking a dig at Dhavlikar.
