Goa: Sanguem site inadequate for IIT campus, says Centre

Times of India | 1 day ago | 20-11-2022 | 01:11 pm

PANAJI: The Goa government’s hopes of receiving the Centre’s nod for the Sanguem land for permanent campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Goa, seem to have been crushed. The central government has turned down the 7 lakh sqm identified by Goa for the project, terming the area as inadequate. As per procedure, once state government identifies a parcel of land, a team from the Centre visits 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, sources said. “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 in this terrain which is not flat and therefore not ideal,” said a source. 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 6 lakh sqm could be provided for the campus. The former IITian was of the view that 6 lakh sqm would be sufficient to meet the IIT’s requirements. After the central authorities rejected the land in its present form at Sanguem, state authorities are now exploring its options, which include adding more adjoining land to the identified site to provide a bigger area for the campus. But this additional land does not belong to the government, like the original 7 lakh sqm, and will have to be acquired from private parties. Sanguem MLA Subhash Phal Dessai has expressed a keen interest in having the IIT campus in his constituency. One of the Centre’s criteria for the IIT campus is that it should be not more than 50km from the nearest airport. Those in the know said that chief minister Pramod Sawant has also laid to rest doubts about distance of the land in Sanguem from an airport, by telling officials that Dabolim airport will remain operational even after the new airport at Mopa is inaugurated. IIT Goa became operational in 2016 and since then it has been a challenge for Goa government to identify a suitable land for the institute’s permanent campus. After facing opposition from locals in Canacona and Sattari to the project, the state has high hopes that a site within Sanguem taluka will be finalised. The IIT is operating from its temporary campus at Goa Engineering College, Farmagudi, and some batches have already passed out without having seen a permanent campus throughout their BTech programme.

Read more

Share:

Similar News

Cong, NCP hit out at BJP for insulting Shivaji

Times of India | 4 hours ago | 21-11-2022 | 12:00 pm

Times of India

4 hours ago | 21-11-2022 | 12:00 pm

Panaji: Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s statement about Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj prompted Congress and NCP to burst out in protest. The two parties also hit out at BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi, accusing him of insulting Shivaji.Congress and NCP have demanded that Trivedi be dropped as the BJP spokesperson.“It is proved time and again that the BJP has used ‘Hindutva’ and great leaders only for its political convenience,” said Congress media cell chairman Amarnath Panjikar.“BJP used the name of Shivaji Maharaj to get votes but is now silent on all negative statements made against him,” said NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto. Congress has demanded that chief minister Pramod Sawant state his stand on the statements made by Trivedi.

CM: Co-op sector holds key for Goa to be swayampurna

Times of India | 8 hours ago | 21-11-2022 | 07:40 am

Times of India

8 hours ago | 21-11-2022 | 07:40 am

Panaji: For Goa to become self reliant, the cooperative sector has a huge role to play, said chief minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday. Sawant urged cooperative societies to work towards skill upgradation and using the Government eMarketplace (GeM) portal to sell Goan products across the country. Sawant, who was speaking at the concluding ceremony of the state-level cooperative week, urged stakeholders from Goa’s cooperative sector to proactively work to implement the Centre’s schemes.“If Goa has to become swayampurna, then it can happen only through the cooperative sector. The cooperative sector staff has a great responsibility. This is one sector that can make the most impact,” Sawant said. “The Center and the state have so many schemes with so much funding and all we need to do is implement it. The government is with the sector.” Minister for cooperative societies Subhash Shirodkar concurred with Sawant and urged cooperative societies in Goa to think beyond the traditional sectors. “If a person has to be come atmanirbhar, it can happen only through cooperative sector, agriculture, animal husbandry and water resources. Today there are no cooperative societies that have not ventured into many sectors for example exports, tourism, fisheries, farmers societies,” Shirodkar said. Sawant asked the various cooperative societies to registered themselves on the GeM portal. “Goan products should be put up on the portal and should be available all India. From food products to handicrafts and cloths, everything can be put on the GeM portal. The market is now accessible from your home. It is the responsibility of the cooperative societies to make sure that the product from their sector is available on the GeM portal,” he said.The chief minister said that cooperative societies have only focused on disbursing money and recovering money with no efforts being taken to see the entrepreneurship and business grow. “We need to upskill the people in the cooperative sector through apprenticeship. The Centre will pay a stipend and the state will also provide a stipend so that in the next one year there will be 10,000 to 12,000 skilled manpower in the state,” Sawant said.

Roll back hike in fines until mining resumes: Truck owners

Times of India | 11 hours ago | 21-11-2022 | 04:55 am

Times of India

11 hours ago | 21-11-2022 | 04:55 am

Margao: Owners of mining trucks from South Goa have demanded that the government roll back what they called exorbitant hike in green cess, insurance, GPS rentals and fines for no fitness certificate, until mining activities and ore transportation resumes in the state in a full-fledged manner.At a meeting held at Sanvordem on Sunday, the affected mining truck owners said that while chief minister Pramod Sawant has assured a delegation that met him recently of resolving the issue soon, they have served an ultimatum of 15 days for the government to act on the matter. “If no decision on the matter is coming forth from the government within the next 15 days, we will take appropriate steps and launch an agitation,” one of the speakers said at the meeting.The truck owners are particularly agitated over the steep hike in fines for trucks not possessing a valid fitness certificate. “The trucks are out of business. Usually we would obtain the fitness certificate before the commencement of the mining season every year. However, as there is no business for the last many years, most of the truck owners haven’t obtained the fitness certificates. But we are told that as per the new rules, the transport authorities would levy a fine of Rs 50 per day from the date the fitness certificate has expired. Now this is injustice on the truck owners. On the one hand, they have lost their livelihoods, and on the other, a hefty fine is levied on them, despite being out of business,” a truck owner explained the situation.They have also demanded that the hike in green cess and rentals for GPS equipment be rolled back forthwith. Iron ore mining and transportation operations came to a standstill in the state after the Supreme Court quashed 88 leases in February last year. The apex court had quashed the second renewal of iron ore mining leases given to 88 mining firms in Goa in 2015.

In next 25 years, India will lead the world as technology and content creation hub: Thakur

Times of India | 11 hours ago | 21-11-2022 | 04:36 am

Times of India

11 hours ago | 21-11-2022 | 04:36 am

India will soon become vishwa guru or a world leader not only in film technology but also in content creation for cinema. The country is working towards becoming the world’s centrepoint in the film sector in terms of market as well a film production, Union minister for Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Anurag Singh Thakur said at the inaugural ceremony of the 53rd International Film Festival of India (Iffi) on Sunday in Goa.“Over the next 25 years, in film shooting, production, co-production, post-production and collaborations, India, along with being a technology hub also wants to be a content hub,” he said. “Not only the world’s biggest producer of films, but a centrepoint of the film sector, whether it is in terms of market, producing films. It is possible. We do not have a dearth of talent, means or film shooting sites,” Thakur said. Thakur announced that Indian Film Personality of the Year at this year’s Iffi closing ceremony will be awarded to Telugu megastar and actor-producer Padma Bhushan awardee Chiranjeevi Konidela.The minister also said that Goa has built itself into an incomparable destination in the world. “In the country and for the film industry Goa has built its own identity and next year we will have an even bigger event,” Thakur said. Iffi is being hosted by Goa from November 20 to 28 this year.Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant said that the state will soon come out with a comprehensive policy and a hassle-free action plan to make it a world-class centre for film production and post-production.“With the best rail, road, water and air connectivity to all parts of the country and an increasing pool of trained and talented actors, writers, technicians, Goa is your most ideal destination for film shooting as well as post-production. My government will promote the creation of an entire ecosystem required for making films,” Sawant said.Goa with its tremendous natural beauty is the most ideal place for filmmaking beyond Mumbai, he said.A state-of-the-art film school will be established in Goa soon, Sawant said. He asked producers and investors to come forth to invest in film-related infrastructure in Goa.By 2025, Goa will have a world-class convention centre with a multiplex and other associated infrastructure over an area of 25 acres to host the Iffi inaugural ceremony, said the chief minister.Veteran Spanish filmmaker Carlos Saura was awarded the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement award, which was received by his daughter Anna, while Indian film personalities Suniel Shetty, Ajay Devgn, Paresh Rawal, Manoj Bajpayee and V Vijayendra Prasad were felicitated for their contribution to cinema.Union minister for state for I&B, L Murugan, said that it needs to be remembered that it was former Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar’s sustained efforts that made Goa the permanent venue of Iffi.Film Bazaar, which is organised for the global filmmaking industry to discuss business aspects of cinema, will be open this year for other Iffi delegates and the general public as well every day from 3pm to 6pm, Union I&B secretary Apurva Chandra announced.The members of the Indian Panorama and international jury were also felicitated.Spanish, French and Goan cultural dances were performed at the opening ceremony, as France will be the country of focus this year at the festival. Kartik Aaryan, Sara Ali Khan were the other film personalities present at the opening ceremony.

After Centre’s no, state hunts for more IIT land in Sanguem itself

Times of India | 13 hours ago | 21-11-2022 | 02:40 am

Times of India

13 hours ago | 21-11-2022 | 02:40 am

Panaji: A day after the Union government found the Sanguem site for IIT-Goa “inadequate”, the state government has started a search to identify another site — or additional land at the same site — in the same taluka.Chief minister Pramod Sawant told TOI that the land identified 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 said. Social welfare minister Subhash Phal Dessai, who is also the local legislator, said that the IIT-Goa permanent campus will come up in Sanguem itself. “We wanted to have the IIT-Goa campus at the present site because it was government land, else it would have been encroached. There is a lot of private land in Sanguem where we can set up the campus.” He said the government is trying to identify around 4 lakh sqm for the campus.The state had initially identified land at Canacona to set up the IIT, but due to opposition, it was shifted to Sanguem, Valpoi, and again Sanguem. There have been strong protests against the handing over of huge swathes of land to set up the campus.The Union government turned down the 7 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 6 lakh sqm could be provided for the campus. The former IITian was of the view that 6 lakh sqm would be sufficient to meet the IIT’s requirements.

More News

Latest News