PANAJI
More than a week after the Goa government transferred land for the proposed permanent campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) at Farmagudi, Power Minister and local MLA Sudin Dhavalikar on Monday indicated that the project site is still not final, signalling that the government's administrative decision does not amount to a final green light for the campus at the location.
Reacting to media questions over opposition to the IIT campus, Dhavalikar said the proposed IIT permanent campus project at Farmagudi is "yet to be decided" by the government.
He clarified that while opposition expressed during the gram sabha cannot be taken to mean that the project has been shelved, it equally does not confirm that the premier institute’s campus will ultimately come up at Farmagudi.
"The gram sabha's opposition does not mean the IIT project has been dropped. At the same time, it does not mean that the project will necessarily come up at Farmagudi. The final decision rests with the government," Dhavalikar said.
His remarks assume significance as the State government last week transferred nearly 4.65 lakh square metres of land for the project as per Cabinet decision and also announced to acquire an additional around two lakh square metres of private land to facilitate the institute's expansion.
Bandora villagers during a gram sabha on Sunday opposed the government's move to acquire Katamgal Dada shrine land for the IIT campus and demanded that the land be protected as a biodiversity site.
Last month the villagers held a protest at the shrine to voice their opposition against the project. Following which, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had announced that the land in and around the shrine will not be touched and he has already spoken to the concerned citizens.
