PANAJI
Villagers pledged to continue their protest against setting up of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) at Melauli, Sattari even as they had talks with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in the capital city on Monday but left disappointed.
Sawant during the meeting told the protesters that the government will examine paying compensation to them in every possible way that fits rules including for loss of land as well as loss of livelihoods like cash crop farming.
The meeting with representatives of the protesting villagers was hosted by Sawant at the new headquarter of the State Forest Department at Altinho on Monday.
Sawant told the media that providing alternate land to those who establish with documents they have lost land to the IIT project will be considered and given.
"The government is ready to consider all forms of compensation for the villagers. But the IIT is a project of national pride, it has to come through," Sawant said emerging out of the meeting with the protesting villagers.
One of the demands of the villagers to exclude a chunk of around 10 acres (45,000 square meters) from the project has already been conceded by the government.
The Cabinet took a decision last month to exclude the 10 acres from the 10-odd lakh square meters allotted to IIT for their Goa campus, on which exists a temple revered by locals.
The government has now asked the protesters to set up a 4-member committee which will henceforth communicate with it to resolve their demands and grievances.
The protesters, however, said they will not engage with the government in the capital or elsewhere other than the site they are objecting to.
Government officials will have to come to Melauli and resolve our demands as it will be easier to physically verify our claims and apprehensions, said a protestor.
An IIT was allotted to Goa in the first budget exercise as soon as the BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi took power in 2014, but since then the State has been struggling to ensure the globally renowned technology institution sets up its independent campus.
IIT-Goa is currently functioning since 2015 temporarily from a campus it shares at Farmagudi with Goa Engineering College.
Previously, the State government had to abandon plans to set up the prestigious institution's campus in two other locations -- in Canacona and Sanguem -- following protests from people there.
