‘Campus to be set up entirely on govt land’
Special Correspondent
Panaji: Stating that there is no reason to oppose the setting up of IIT Goa’s permanent campus in Farmagudi, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday assured that even a small part of the Katamgal Dada area in the vicinity of this proposed campus will not be touched.
Sawant said he had spoken to both MLAs concerned – Ramkrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar and Govind Gaude – as also local residents on this issue, adding that the project should not face opposition.
A large number of villagers had gathered on Sunday at the revered Katamgal Dada shrine in Farmagudi to oppose the project, reiterating that it should not come up at the site due to religious, cultural and environmental concerns.
The villagers believe that the project would disturb the sanctity of the shrine, destroy the mango grove surrounding the place of worship and alter the centuries-old religious and cultural landscape.
Appealing to the people not to oppose the construction of the campus merely for the sake of opposition, the Chief Minister, who holds the education portfolio, said the project is being developed entirely on government-owned land.
Responding to the protest over the project near the shrine, the Chief Minister said he too has faith in the deity, adding that no land in or around the sacred shrine precincts would be touched during the construction of the campus.
Sawant told mediapersons that the project will not hurt anyone’s sentiments or disturb the area.
It is pertinent to note that the IIT project has been opposed wherever it was proposed to be set up for around 10 years – Loliem, Melauli, Cotarli, Keri and most recently at Codar.
IIT Goa temporarily functions from Goa College of Engineering in Farmagudi.
