Goa govt finalises land to set up permanent campus of IIT Goa

Panaji, Oct 19 (PTI) The Goa government has finalised the site to set up a permanent campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Goa, which has been functioning out of a temporary campus since the last few years, a state minister said on Thursday.

A plateau in Rivona village in South Goa has been finalised for the IIT Goa project, state Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phal Desai told PTI from the site, located around 80 kms from state capital Panaji.

"The state government took a decision about the land last week. This land in Rivona measuring 10 lakh square metres is ideal for the project. The land, which belongs to a private party, is plain and therefore suitable for putting in place the infrastructure required for the IIT campus," he said.

The government had faced stiff opposition for the project twice earlier. In January 2021, the proposed IIT Goa campus project was shifted out of Shel-Melavali village in Sattari taluka of North Goa following protests by villagers. After that, the government identified another site in Cortalim, but had to drop the idea due to the opposition by locals.

When asked if the government has taken any steps in view of the opposition it faced earlier, Phal Desai said, "This time, we have already taken all the local people into confidence and they have given their go-ahead for the project." The setting up of the IIT campus will help in the development of the region, he said.

"The IIT Goa campus will change the face of the village as it will generate employment and business opportunities for the local people. The IIT Goa's management and officials have agreed to give priority to the locals in jobs at lower level," the minister added.

Phal Desai, who represents the Sanguem assembly constituency, in which the project is proposed to come up, said, "When we were scouting for places to set up the IIT Goa campus, those who were opposing it in their villages were questioning me, why don't you take it in your own village. And coincidentally, here I am in my own village with the project. I was born and brought up in a village bordering Rivona." The minister said he used to visit this particular place in his childhood to rear cattle.

"Many of my childhood friends belong to this place and I meet them whenever I come here," the 57-year-old politician said.

He said once the IIT Goa campus is set up in Rivona, it will help create awareness among the local residents about higher education.

IIT Goa has been functioning from a temporary campus at Farmagudi in South Goa since 2016. PTI RPS NP