PANAJI: At the peak of the Covid-19
pandemic in the state, when designated hospitals were overflowing with cases, the government took over four hostels of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Goa, at Farmagudi to house asymptomatic patients. However, when the four hostels, with a capacity of 340, were handed back to the institute last month, it ended with the South Goa collector getting an FIR filed by the police as the premises were found vandalised and students’ belongings stolen.
Sources said that preliminary investigations have estimated a loss of Rs 15 lakh to IIT and Rs 15-18 lakh to students. “There are reports of some iPhones, laptops and tablets belonging to the students having been stolen,” an official said.
“IIT informed us that in March, students had to leave the hostel premises in a hurry due to the sudden Covid-19 outbreak, and many had left their belongings behind. The students had given a declaration to the institute of the belongings left behind. The work of comparing the declaration and determining the personal loss to students in on.”
“As per the institute, the four hostels with 80 rooms are only one-and-a-half years old. But when inspection of the damage was carried out, they looked anything but new. There were paan marks on the walls. Bathroom sinks were broken, and light fixtures stolen. In at least 40 rooms, the furniture was moved around,” said a state official involved in the inspection of the premises. He added that the state government has assured compensation for the losses suffered by the institute.
Officials also found cupboards and study table drawers having been forced open by breaking the locks or tearing apart the iron exterior of the furniture.
“Some furniture was also moved out in the rain, and has started rusting as a result,” said a source. “A room with sports and music equipment has been broken into and vandalised. There was trash lying everywhere, including several empty liquor bottles. Food has also been left behind to rot inside the rooms.”
The hostel premises have been left in need of major repair works due to the vandalism, making the rooms uninhabitable if IIT wants to allow students back on campus now. The institute is set to hire another premises where its students will be put up till the repair is completed.
There are also fears that passports and certificates of students’ educational qualifications stored in the cupboards could have gone missing or been tampered with.
“Some doctorate students were allowed to leave their vehicles parked inside the campus. These vehicles too have been damaged. The rear view mirrors of the bikes have been stolen, and the seats slashed with blades,” the source said.