The Union Ministry of Education's site selection committee has inspected a 10-lakh-square-meter land in South Goa for the construction of a permanent campus for the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Goa.

The area is classified by four survey numbers and measures 10,49,118 square meters in Malewada-Rivona, Sanguem taluka, South District, IANS reports.

According to sources, Goa's Revenue Department is determining and validating the title paperwork for the indicated area.

“After that, upon initiation and completion of the land acquisition process, and handing over of the land to IIT-Goa, the construction thereupon would be commenced by the Government of India. IIT-Goa would finalise this only after the land is handed over,” sources told IANS.

“Goa government will ensure that sufficient safeguards are adopted to minimise any adverse impact on the environment and existing green cover at the time of granting required project approval by the various statutory authorities, who would be approving the project in accordance with rules, regulations, norms and standards, as applicable,” they added. 

After experiencing opposition in three areas, the Goa government located a location in Rivona, Sanguem constituency, that received approval from the local panchayat.

The IIT Goa campus, which opened in July 2016, is temporarily situated at Goa Engineering College in Ponda, South Goa.

Initially, land was identified in Canacona, South Goa, but was cancelled due to local protests.

Later, land was discovered at Shel-Melauli in Sattari taluka, North Goa. In this case, those impacted initiated an agitation, claiming that it could destroy the environment. 

This was also cancelled in response to public pressure. Another piece of land for the project was found at Cotarli, Sanguem, but the project was still met with opposition. The site has now been decided in Rivona, Sanguem taluka.