SANGUEM
The State government’s efforts to find land to set up the IIT project in the State have suffered a major setback for the third time, when the central government made it clear that land identified at Cotarli village is not being considered for the permanent campus of IIT.
This is a major victory for farmers opposing the IIT project at Cotarli and they celebrated their victory by lighting fire crackers at their agitation site in Sanguem.
The State government had previously attempted to set up the project in Loliem-Canacona and Melauli-Sattari, but had to abandon those sites following stiff protests from locals in both places.
A letter confirming that land identified at Cotarli village was not being considered for the permanent campus of IIT was sent to Constancio Mascarenhas and others from Cotarli-Sanguem dated December 12 by the Under Secretary Kavita Chauhan from the Union Ministry of Education’s Department of Higher Education (Technical Section 1).
“I am directed to refer to your letter dated September 15 and to say that the land identified by the State government at Cotarli village of Sanguem taluka for the permanent campus of IIT Goa is not being considered by the Government of India to set up the permanent campus of IIT,” stated Chauhan.
Constancio Mascarenhas and others had written a letter to the central government seeking the intervention of the Centre, after alleging violence, intimidation and misuse of powers by the State to displace tribal communities and to usurp tribal lands for the IIT Goa.
After receiving the letter, the farmers celebrated their victory by lighting fire crackers at their agitation site at Sanguem and also thanked the media for their persistent support to their agitation.
The farmers claimed that the Centre’s letter dated December 12 is highly significant because when the Centre had claimed a few weeks ago that the proposed land was not sufficient to set up the IIT project, Sanguem MLA Subhash Phaldessai had claimed the government would purchase the shortfall of required land of around 2 lakhs square metres from private parties.
Phaldessai had also remarked in the second week of December that the IIT project would come up at Sanguem itself and that, efforts were underway to get the approval from the central government.
A jubilant Constancio Mascarenhas told reporters that Sanguem MLA Subhash Phaldessai should have thought wisely before trying to force the project in Sanguem.
“From day one of the agitation, we had made amply clear to Phaldessai that we will not allow the project to come up on the agricultural land in Cotarli-Sanguem, which is under our cultivations for generations,” said Mascarenhas.
Added Santano Rodrigues: “Phaldessai should stop making any more futile attempts to get the project at Sanguem. It is time to get the project shifted elsewhere.”
Milton Fernandes said they were not opposed to IIT project being set up in another part of the State.
“Phaldessai can contact other ministers in the present ruling government who have welcomed the project in their constituencies,” said Fernandes.
