PANAJI: Power minister Nilesh Cabral on Tuesday came out in support of Sanguem independent MLA Prasad Gaonkar, who recently demanded the IIT-Goa project in his constituency. “My full support to Gaonkar for setting up the IIT campus in Sanguem if the chief minister decides to shift it from Sattari,” said Cabral, who represents the neighboring Curchorem constituency.
Cabral said it is a prestigous project and would be a boon for the region. “Remember, it is not an industry. We need such projects,” he said, adding that people need to realise that such projects are to be supported.
Cabral said that land for the project was first identified at Canacona. After receiving opposition there, he said he had identified land at Sanguem and placed a proposal before former chief minister Manohar Parrikar.
The nine lakh sq m plot, he said, had few encroachers and few parts of it were fields. However, when the settlement process was underway, Parrikar took ill, after which the project came to standstill.
Gaonkar knew about this. “When IIT-Goa said that if the government does not give them land they would move out of the state, CM Pramod Sawant decided to hand over 10 lakh sq m of land at Sattari,” he said.