Upset Gaonkar wants govt to rethink on Uguem site for IIT

NT NETWORK

Panaji

Virtually expressing disagreement over the decision of the government to shift the site for setting up of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) to Guleli in Sattari taluka, Sanguem MLA Prasad Gaonkar on Wednesday said that injustice is being done to Sanguem and the surrounding talukas.

Appealing to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to also propose the site in Uguem village in Sanguem for inspection by the site selection committee of the central government, along with the Guleli site, Gaonkar said that the decision on the site should be left to the site selection committee, which will assess the feasibility of the land.

Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Gaonkar said that he had given to the government three options of land with regard to the IIT project.

“I was tirelessly working for the last two years to find a site for setting up of the IIT project in Sanguem after former chief minister late Manohar Parrikar offered the premium technology institute to my constituency. However, without taking me into confidence, the government has taken a decision to shift the site for IIT to Sattari taluka,” Gaonkar said, adding that the Chief Minister cited financial crunch as a reason for not acquiring the land in the Sanguem constituency.

The Independent MLA said that he initially showed a site at Cortali village to the then chief minister Manohar Parrikar. He said the site comprised an area of approximately 13 lakh square metres of land out of which ownership of 3 lakh square metres was claimed by a private owner and the party was initially ready to give his consent irrespective of court decision. “But later the party requested the government to settle the case matter first and then take possession of the site. However, the government did not take seriously the matter regarding settlement of the case,” he claimed.

He said a second site was identified in Rivona village having an area of 523 hectares, which was in possession of the department of forests; 200 hectares of the area is barren rocky land, the MLA said.

Gaonkar further said that the third site was identified in Uguem village of Sanguem wherein 17 lakh square metres of land, owned by a single land owner, a society ‘Sociadade’, was proposed for the IIT project.

“The society members were willing to provide the land in Uguem for the IIT project, as it was for educational purpose and flexible for release of payment for the land by the government. However, the Chief Minister cited a reason of financial crunch for acquiring the land,” Gaonkar said.

The Sanguem MLA said that the site, which has been approved by the state cabinet at Guleli village in Sattari has an area of 13 lakh square metres of land, out of which almost 4 lakh square metres is encroached upon, 40 per cent of the land is in no-development zone and has no proper roads, water or power supply besides no rail and airport connectivity in the vicinity.

“According to me, the government would have had to spend around Rs 150 crore for acquiring the land in Uguem village, which would have been a permanent asset of the government, whereas for transferring the land belonging to the revenue department at Guleli in Sattari, the government will lose over Rs 400-500 crore,” he said.