Some elected MLAs are keen on taking the IIT to their constituencies, but have not taken locals’ views
For the last one month, people protested against the proposed IIT Goa at Melauli. The project is worth Rs 3200 crore on land admeasuring 13 lakh square metres with an employment potential of 500-1000. Is it worth?
Okay, let’s discuss about the flora and fauna. We can displace and rehabilitate the population but what about animals? What about old religious places? Stones can be shifted, but what about the sanctity of the place?
Let’s discuss jobs. Mark my words, not a single professor from Goa is eligible to become a permanent professor at IIT Goa as of now. Secondly, the jobs I mention here are of housekeepers and daily wages like gardeners. Big residential complexes with inbuilt schools and grounds or staff quarters will come into existence so we can qualify to become housemaids and drivers. These are the only job opportunities we see at IIT Goa.
Now, coming to students. If a Goan student gets admission to IIT Bombay or IIT Madras, he will definitely prefer that IIT over Goa. There is no reservation policy for Goan students, so chances of Goan students studying at IIT Goa are maximum two or three. That’s it for graduation.
So who will benefit? Nobody, except for the new vote banks. This new influx of people will result in cultural genocide of our state.
We already have five plus one engineering institutes apart from BITS. And everyone knows what is their state. The Government should instead invest that money to raise engineering education standards in Goa.
Now Power Minister Cabral wants to take the project to Curchorem. Gaonkar wants it in Sanguem. Sudin dreams of Bhootkhamb. But have they taken the local people’s views on it?
And mark my words, the IIT project will face protests wherever it goes, except for GEC plateau or Goa University Plateau. Nobody will oppose it if it is planned at GEC or GU. Secondly, does the government require so much place for the project? It should undertake a study to ascertain how much area is really required. For that it will have to find out how much area will be effectively utilised.
People have a wrong notion of acres. The very first line of any institution says “we have an area spread across XYZ acres! For what reason? Grazing of cows? Or do they want to promote horticulture there?
We have the right to ask how much effective area is required. What we will learn is plans to have three to four gymnasiums, two-three swimming pools, four-five hostels and two-three mess buildings. All these things can be properly planned but first the government should publish the building plan of IIT. Right now everything is ready on paper. People should be aware of all the proposed planning.
We Goans are as usual late risers in everything. Why don’t the people concerned conduct an open forum discussion at Goa University? Let the facts be spelled out at the presentation to the entire state. Then nobody will oppose.
