PANAJI
The State government has set up a committee, headed by the South Goa District Collector, to address all issues related to the land identified for the permanent campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Goa in Ponda taluka.
As earlier reported by The Goan, the government has identified around 4.5 lakh square metres of land within the Goa College of Engineering (GEC) campus at Farmagudi and has submitted a fresh proposal to the Centre for approval.
As per the notification issued by Under Secretary (Revenue) Vrushika Khauthankar, the committee has been tasked with assessing the feasibility of the identified land for the IIT campus. It will also verify land ownership and records of rights, and, wherever required, initiate negotiations with landowners for acquisition.
The Union Ministry of Education has relaxed the earlier requirement of 10 lakh sq mts of land for setting up an IIT, following a request from the State government. This has paved the way for reconsidering smaller, more feasible land parcels for the project.
The nine-member committee includes the Director of Technical Education, Director of Settlement and Land Records, Director of Agriculture, Chief Town Planner, Deputy Conservator of Forests, South District Registrar, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Ponda), and a representative from IIT Goa.
Nearly a decade after it was established in 2016, IIT Goa continues to function from its temporary campus at Farmagudi. Efforts to finalise land for a permanent campus have faced repeated delays due to public opposition and land-related challenges.
Earlier proposed sites at Loliem (Canacona), Melauli (Sattari), Cotarli (Sanguem) and Codar (Ponda) were dropped following strong protests by locals. Other locations such as Rivona (Sanguem) and Dharbandora were also set aside due to difficulties in land acquisition.
The prolonged delay in securing a permanent campus has affected the institute’s expansion plans. IIT Goa has missed out on key research and infrastructure grants, including additional funding announced by the Union Ministry of Education for newer IITs established after 2014.
