Despite minister’s plea, oppn to IIT campus continues

Margao: Opposition to the proposed IIT campus at Sanguem ceases to die down. On Saturday, a large number of locals from Vorcotto, Dando, gathered at the site and voiced their opposition to the project. Shouting slogans denouncing the project, they vowed to take to the streets if any attempts are made to “impose” the project on the village.
Recently, Sanguem MLA and minister for social welfare Subhash Phal Dessai had cautioned people against opposing the proposed IIT complex at Sanguem. This, he said, would prevent other employment-oriented projects from being set up in Sanguem, thus depriving local youth of better livelihood opportunities.
“This land will turn out to be a cursed land if a green project like IIT is driven away from Sanguem,” Phal Dessai had said. “This will lead to an impression that Sanguem is a hostile place for investments in any type of projects, as after investing so much money the project is forced to be abandoned. He stressed that the IIT project proposed to be set up on 7.5 lakh sq m of government-owned land at Sanguem is totally barren and that it’s difficult to find such a vast contiguous parcel of land elsewhere in the state.
Stating that non-polluting industries should be welcomed, Phal Dessai had said, “If pollution-causing mining industry is allowed by the locals on the grounds that they are dependent on it, why should a clean project like IIT that will generate employment be opposed? We should see to it that new opportunities for employment are not shunned.”
Phal Dessai had also held a public meeting in Sanguem recently to explain the benefits of the IIT project to locals.