The state government has initiated the demarcation of land at the Sanjivani sugar factory site in Dharbandora for the establishment of a permanent campus for IIT Goa. A senior government official stated that the demarcation process is being done. The land demarcation is being carried out while addressing the issue of encroachments on the land. Once the demarcation is completed, the proposal will be forwarded to the Union government. Following that, a site inspection team will visit to assess whether the location is suitable for the IIT Goa campus, reported The Times of India.
The state government has instructed the South Goa collector to conduct a field survey of the land to identify any encroachments. Initially, the government had planned to restart operations at the sugar factory and reserve the surrounding area for this purpose. However, the government later approved the use of the land for IIT Goa’s permanent campus. A senior officer mentioned that a plot of 10 lakh square meters is required for the IIT campus. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has ordered a survey to confirm whether any encroachments exist, with a report to be submitted so that the land can be officially handed over to IIT Goa.
According to a report by TOI, the state government has shortlisted land owned by Sanjivani Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Ltd in Dharbandora for the IIT Goa campus. Initially, the land was allocated for an International Law University campus, but the plan has now been changed, and the university will be relocated to Mayem. The land will now be used for IIT Goa’s permanent campus.
IIT Goa began operations in 2016 and has been functioning from a temporary campus at the Goa Engineering College in Farmagudi. Over the years, several land parcels were considered for the permanent campus, but these were either rejected by the Union education ministry’s site selection committee or faced opposition from local residents for various reasons.
