Panaji
The local panchayat at Rivona, located in the Sanguem constituency of South Goa, where land has been earmarked for the construction of an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), has granted approval for the project during a gram sabha (village assembly) held on Sunday. Sanguem MLA and state minister, Subhash Phaldesai, reported that the panchayat passed a unanimous resolution to proceed with the IIT project. He praised the decision, noting that around 300 people were present at the gram sabha, and all of them supported the project. The decision is seen as a significant step forward for the IIT project, despite earlier controversies and concerns raised by some parties. The South Goa Collector, Asvin Chandru, had previously issued a public notice in mid-October stating that land in Rivona village was needed or likely to be needed for the establishment of a permanent campus for IIT Goa. The identified land measures around 10 lakh square meters. The IIT Goa campus, established in July 2016, is currently located at the Goa Engineering College (GEC) in Ponda-South district on a temporary basis. The government has been working to transform Goa into an educational hub but faced opposition and agitation while acquiring land for the IIT project. Initially, land was selected in Canacona, South Goa, but the plan was canceled due to protests. Later, land was identified in Shel-Melauli in North Goa, which faced objections on environmental grounds. After this, the project in Shel-Melauli was canceled, and the government identified a new site in Rivona.
