MAPUSA
A new flashpoint has emerged in the ongoing efforts to establish a permanent campus for the Indian Institute of Technology-Goa (IIT-Goa) amid conflicting statements over approval from the Codar Comunidade.
Attorney of the Codar Comunidade Prashant Gaonkar emphasised that the proposal to earmark comunidade land for an IIT campus is currently in its initial stages.
He clarified that no approval has yet been granted by the managing committee, which must first formally receive a written proposal before presenting it to the general body for ratification.
“The managing committee has only conveyed to the government that land is available with the comunidade...There is a process which has to be followed,” Gaonkar stated.
He said there should be a written proposal followed by the managing committee’s approval and culminating with the general body’s resolution.
However, sources within the Administration of Comunidades (Central Zone) claim the managing committee has already sanctioned the go-ahead.
Citing this, the administrator has reportedly advanced the next steps – and even issued a public notice regarding a plot in Survey No 63/2 on a perpetual lease for the campus.
Supporting this site selection, the State government in August decided a permanent IIT-Goa campus would be established on approximately 14.6 lakh square metres of Codar comunidade land in Ponda taluka.
A corresponding proposal has been forwarded to the central government for consideration.
In response, residents of Codar-Bethora voiced sharp opposition during a public meeting held on Monday.
They criticised the government for bypassing them in the decision-making process and raised multiple objections, including loss of fertile and cultivated land, threat to local biodiversity and wildlife and lack of community consultation.
In attendance were local environmentalists, who supported concerns over irreversible ecological damage.
Residents warned of escalating protests, launching a signature campaign and public awareness drive to pressurise authorities.
This controversy marks the latest setback in Goa’s nearly year-long search for a viable IIT-Goa campus location.
Earlier site proposals – including Loliem-Canacona, Melauli-Sattari and Cotarli-Sanguem – were abandoned due to public backlash.
Two others – Rivona-Sanguem and Dharbandora – were dropped because of complicated land acquisition issues.
