The Goa State Government in the cabinet meeting held on Wednesday decided to exempt 45,000 square meters of the land parcel from the proposed new campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) at Guleli village amidst protest from the villagers to save two temples functioning in the area allotted for IIT.
“We have identified 45,000 sq. meters of land for religious activity. They will be diverted and taken off the final plan. This was done in the interest of the villagers and to pacify them. This is the interest of the villagers”, said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday.
“We will be acquiring the same area of land from somewhere else,” he added.
IIT Goa is currently operating in the space shared with Goa Engineering College in Farmagudi village and in July the government has announced the allocation of 10 lakh sq.mts of land in and around Guleli village for setting up IIT Goa.
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, who is also the MLA of the constituency which includes Guleli village said that this measure would solve the problem and there would be no more resistance since the concerns of the villagers and their religious sentiment are heeded.
The local residents are also said to have objected to the project citing environmental concerns and adversely affecting the biodiversity of the area.
