Goa CM visits tribals from Sattari protesting against the new IIT campus encroaching on their land

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday visited a village in Sattari taluka to meet the tribals who are opposing a proposed IIT campus in their area. Sawant assured residents of Melualim village in North Goa district that the project would be taken forward only after taking them into confidence.

"We will form a committee of 15 people who will discuss the project with me. All the issues raised by locals over the project would be addressed," said Sawant. The villagers, however, refused to withdraw their agitation, saying their single-point demand is that the state government shift the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus project from their village. Sawant told the villagers that the state government is ready to rehabilitate those who would be affected by the project and would also regularise the land titles, which has been pending since long.

The chief minister said the villagers would benefit out of the project. "Under no circumstances, we will force the project on the people," he said. The locals have been opposing the project, under which the IIT campus is proposed to be set up on 10 lakh square metre land in Melaulim village. During the interaction with the chief minister, the locals unanimously said they are not interested in the project being taken up in their village.