The premier government-run Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) announced to setup a campus in Goa and kick started operations with announcing that its permanent location will be in Loliem, Canacona.
However, a number of villagers had apprehensions of construction, water shortage, garbage and destruction to environment. But interaction with locals seemed like that the villages of Loliem and Poinguinim where the project is to be setup are earning for development in their village.
Darshan Prabhugaonkar, the attorney of Comunidade of Loliem who was also the former sarpanch explains, “Canancona actually has ample of water, it’s just that Loliem lies at the extreme end of the constituency and the water pressure drops by the time it reaches over there. But an IIT will mean that Loliem will get a dedicated water supply line and it will change things in our villages.”
“We can’t blindly oppose projects without even knowing the knowhow and the requirements of the institute. There are rumors being spread of 9,000 students will then influx into Canacona. All this is baseless canards spread to stall development,” asserted an angry Darshan.
Similarly, Loliem Sarpanch Bhushan Prabhugaonkar said “It’s wrong to be simply apprehensive and block and stall projects. I am saying that let’s allow an IIT, provided all the requirements are met and the interests of the village are taken care of. We don’t want to miss a bus of opportunities by simply blocking a project. If not an educational institute, then what else should we welcome in Loliem. Isn’t it a better option than a chemical industry? People are being very narrow minded and simply opposing a good initiative in the village.” Bhushan however demanded that the IIT make it clear how it would manage garbage disposal and water supply.
Mario Fernandes, the owner of Molyma Resorts, said, “Loliem is very underdeveloped and an IIT will bring a lot of allied services to the village which is a boon to the villagers.”
“Mini hospital, doctors on call, an in-house pharmacy, a supermarket, jobs for locals, some seats reserved for the locals and obviously better infrastructure in terms of roads is what will definitely come with the IIT. That’s exactly what has happened in other cities where IITs are setup. I don’t see why we shouldn’t accept all this in our village,” explains Mario. But Mario too says that the IIT needs to explain a lot as to how it would manage with the current infrastructure and what would the villagers benefit from the campus.
Similarly, Head Master of Nirankar High School Hemant Kamat said, “Any new project brings changes to the geographic of the land because of construction, but it cannot be considered as destruction.” Hemant feels that locals should weigh in the opportunities that would come to the village.
Even without an IIT, “people have been leaving Loliem to settled down in Margao and other towns and yet they oppose an IIT campus in the village,” said Mohandas Lolienkar, a local, and questioned, “Wont a campus like this give people jobs directly or through allied services and this would mean retaining people in the village then why should it be opposed?”
Vishwas Prabhudesai, a retired engineer from Goa Engineering College, Farmagudi is also very cautious and feels that people need not oppose but just stay alert read clearly what the college would offer to the locals, how infrastructure would improve in the village, and what opportunities would be presented to the locals and then only people should welcome the project.
“It’s quite obvious that education projects are good and a lot of people get jobs from teaching staff to housekeeping to gardening to support staff jobs to providing meals and canteen contractors and running in house vehicles. So, see the opportunities that will be offered when the IIT comes, so I feel people should change their mindset and welcome the IIT to setup campus in Loliem,” asserted Vishwas.
