The Central government has turned down the 7 lakh sqm of land identified at Sanguem for IIT, as being inadequate. The Centre’s criteria for an IIT are a minimum of 12 lakh sqm, flat land that is ideal for construction, site should not be more than 50 km from the nearest airport, among others. If these conditions were already known why steps were taken to go on a land-hunting spree and spot a land of 7 lakh sqm which is under a green cover and has a hillock? The authorities could have avoided wasting time, money, energy and not created bad blood recently with the villagers of Sanguem, No doubt, an IIT in Goa could be prestigious but it could be prudent if the Centre is not too ‘ambitious’ for land. It could build an IIT on a smaller campus, have 3-5 storey buildings instead of individual departments being sprawled around, and trim the number of courses offered. The land on which IIT will operate will be bigger and solely owned than its cramped space at Farmagudi.
