Mantri Subhash Phaldessai visits Bhagwati Plateau; Hints land can be utilized for IIT, Film City or some Hinterland tourism project.
Goemkaponn desk
CANACONA: Stating the Government is exploring all the idle lands to put them in fruitful use, Minister for Social Welfare Subhash Phaldessai the
Phaldessai, during his visit to the Bhagwati Plateau on Sunday, along with some Loliem /Canacona residents and spoke to the media briefly about the purpose of his visit, said, “Government has decided to utilize the idle lying lands in the State, and it is for that purpose that authorities expert in the fields, have been told to explore the possibilities and feasibilities of the lands to any specific projects. My idle land, and I am telling that if my land is suitable/feasible for IIT, soil testing is done, then I am going to see who comes to block it.”
He added, “I have this challenge for anyone. Those who say that where the IIT is planned has been forced to stop and not happening, IIT is not stopped; the only thing is it is a fact that experts found that it is a marshy land, and IIT is not feasible at that site. Now, I have shown a different project/land, and if the land is feasible, IIT will come up there, and I am going to see who comes, even you can come to see, who is going to stop it; I am doing at my house. Someone challenged me to take IIT at my home.”
Speaking further, Phaldessai said he wants IIT because people are suffering; I am educated, I am a computer engineer, I worked in Bangalore, and I wanted to come back to my Goa.
He said presently, there are 22-23 Goan IIT students spread all over the world.
“If an institution of an IIT calibre happened in Goa, it would have been 100 students from Goa instead of just 23 students this year. I can give you data. So let’s explore all the possibilities. Answering a specific question, whether IIT is being explored at Bhagwati Plateua Phaldessai, shot back, It can be IIT, 2-3 projects are being explored for IIT; however, it can be Film City, besides it can be other projects can come, but non-polluted green projects, without affecting the livelihood, providing the livelihood, providing the employment. We want to see where barren land that has been utilized for centuries has to be brought under production. Something should take place in such land”.
It may be recalled that after a sustained struggle and stiff opposition by Loliem locals against the government proposal to build IIT at Bhagwati Plateau, it was finally withdrawn, citing the land available land at Bhagwati Plateau is not in keeping with the actual requirements for a prestigious project of IIT-Goa.
The IIT project shifted to Melauli and met a similar fate, and later central Government rejected the Sanguem project citing the lands non-feasibility. Chief Minister has recently announced a time frame that IIT-Goa, presently functioning from Goa Engineering College Campus, is certainly being established in the State.
Loliem –Polem Ex- Sarpanch/Ex-Attorney and member of Loliem Communidade, when asked on the minister’s visit, informed an agency had visited the Bhagwati plateau to explore the feasibility of setting up or utilizing the vacant land for any non-polluting projects, possibly Film-City, or projects alike in Canaocna. Minister Phaldessai too accompanied them, and the minister is also visiting most talukas in South Goa, including Sanguem, Quepem and Canacona, with an Agency appointed by the Government to explore and set up non-polluting projects so that unemployed youths could get employment.
According to sources, another team had come to Bhagwati plateau and inspected the land last month.
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