TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Subject to central approval, the Goa government is set to begin classes from July 2015 for the first batch of IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Goa from a temporary campus at Goa College of Engineering, Farmagudi.
The government is keeping its fingers crossed on the approval of the identified land for setting up a permanent IIT campus in the State with Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar saying the land is awaiting a green signal from the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD).
The government has identified a site at Dhargal and another at Betki-Khandola that is 14 lakh sq mtrs and belongs to the comunidade.
“We hope to get a nod on the land for setting up a permanent IIT campus, which will pave the way to start classes on the temporary campus. We have identified land at Dhargal and Betki-Khandola, and sent a proposal to Union HRD ministry,” Parsekar told Herald.
Parsekar, who also holds the Education portfolio, said the faculties at the IIT will be finalized after a response from the central ministry.
“We are prepared to start the classes on a temporary campus anytime, but this is subject to the decision on the land for a permanent structure,” he reiterated.
Once approved, the government is confident of completing the construction of the IIT within two years. For now, to start the classes at Farmagudi, around 100 students will be enrolled for the first year degree course.
