Govt has begun looking for a new site for IIT Goa: CM Pramod Sawant

PANAJI: After the Centre found the Sanguem site for IIT-Goa inadequate, chief minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday said the state government has started identifying a new site for setting up a permanent campus for the institute. Last month, the CM had told TOI that the government has started identifying new sites for IIT.
“Goa will have an IIT, 100%,” he said during a cabinet briefing. “We have begun searching for new land and once it is finalised, it will be known to the people.”
In November, the chief minister had told TOI that the land identified at Sanguem so far has very limited area for construction. “We have started identifying a new site in Sanguem itself, and it will be done soon,” he had said.
Last week, protesters in Sanguem rejoiced after the Centre, responding to their letter, clarified that the land identified by the state at Cotarli was no longer under consideration to set up a permanent campus for IIT-Goa.
The state had initially identified land at Canacona to set up the IIT, but due to opposition, it was shifted to Sanguem, then to Valpoi, and again to Sanguem. There have been strong protests against the handing over of huge swathes of land to set up the campus. The Centre recently turned down the seven lakh sqm identified by Goa for the project, terming the area as inadequate.
As per procedure, once the state government identifies a parcel of land, a team from the Centre visits it for inspection before approving or rejecting the site. However, this time around, the central government officials declined the site after going through the plans itself, and it was not found necessary to send an inspection team to Goa.
“The land offered is around 6.8 lakh to 7.2 lakh sqm, but only around 2.8 lakh to 3.2 lakh sqm would finally be available for construction. The rest of the land is under green cover.
The land also includes a hillock, and this would prove challenging to construct buildings. The terrain is not flat and therefore, not ideal,” sources told TOI.
As per the Union education ministry’s requirement, 12 lakh sqm land is to be identified to establish a campus for an IIT. But former chief minister Manohar Parrikar had made it clear to central officials that given Goa’s land constraints, around six lakh sqm could be provided for the campus. The former IITian was of the view that six lakh sqm would be sufficient to meet the IIT’s requirements.