Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has already announced it in Margao. Search is on for a suitable piece of land to set up the complex. Few MLAs have suggestedareas in their constituencies. In the past, people have rejected and opposed the IIT, and this cannot be totally ignored. Although having an IIT complex in the State is desirable for all, there is a general stance that we do not want it in our neighborhood. Locals from Shel-Melauli sternly opposed the IIT. And the government had to bow to their demand. Initially, the government claimed to set up IIT on its own land, but considering the public sentiments, it was forced to pull out. Now, the agitators have to face the court, as complaints were filed against them by the government. To prove that the government’s intention is clear, it must withdraw the cases against the agitating Shel-Melauli locals. Infact, the cases must be dropped. This is the only way to gain people’s trust.
The government must try to understand why the locals are opposing IIT in their neighbourhood. Suddenly rushing to survey a piece of land, just because someone has suggested it, leads to misunderstandings and creates opposition to a pollution-free educational project. The situation gets out of control when agitators get the backing of those who pretend to be the messiahs of the public. All this can be avoided. But the government should take necessary steps to gain people’s trust and confidence. People minutely study whatever is happening around them, as per their understanding. They gauge whether the government will trick or deceive them, and then take a stand. Presently, Mopa is one such issue. Pernem MLA Pravin Arlekar and Mandrem legislator Jit Arolkar have highlighted during the last Assembly session, the issue of locals being deceived in terms of jobs at the new international airport. The public saw it. The pattern of taking over land at government defined rates and later transferring it to various projects at market rate is not a hidden thing anymore. Such acts have put the government machinery under immense suspicion, and no one can deny this fact. The public is seeing it, reading it. Hence, there is nothing wrong in thinking that the government will acquire their land, and the people will not have any benefits from it. The people, except for Shel-Melauli, were not enlightened about what an IIT complex is. It is not possible to hold a public meeting to do so. The equations at such public meetings are quite odd, as the ones raising the issue are few, and speakers are many. At the end, there is mob psychology, and it wins. The opponents take advantage in such situations, and prove how they are right.
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The answers to the following questions need to be made public. What is IIT? How it will benefit the locals with regards to the IIT campus? Will there be reservations for the locals? Whether direct and indirect employment would be generated by the project? Will the ancillary projects that will come up in the locality be given to the locals? What plan will be implemented by the government to ensure availability of manpower from local resources?
Many problems can be solved if the government takes the public into confidence before conceptualising any project. The government gives priority to people’s representatives rather than people. A representative is elected by a margin of few votes during assembly elections. If the victorious politician plans to go ahead with certain projects, the loser is coming with full strength to stop him from doing so. Hence, the government can achieve success only through the administrative level. Government should not announce about the IIT complex until it has gained the confidence of locals where it intends to set up the project. The decision should be made public only after the land has been acquired. A bridge of discussion is a must. Presently, the IIT complex is at Farmagudi. The public wants to know from the government the benefits of the institution, for the State as well as the people. Only if the government handles this issue in a transparent manner, land for the IIT educational complex can be found. Else, the hunt for land to set up IIT will continue to be a game of kho-kho.
