PANJIM: Notwithstanding the protests by villagers and the growing dissatisfaction within the ruling party, the Dr Pramod Sawant government has ruled out shifting the proposed Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus from Melauli-Guleli village in Sattari.
Speaking to media persons on Tuesday, the Chief Minister said the government has not taken any decision to shift the IIT project from Melauli-Guleli. “The project will come up at Guleli. The project is coming up over 10 lakh sq mtrs of land, which is government property,” he said.
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Sawant expressed confidence that the government will succeed in convincing the protesting villagers. “We will try to convince the villagers and I am sure they will get convinced,” he said.
The Chief Minister also said there are few villagers, who are dependent on the cashew plantations and they would be provided with an alternative.
Earlier in August, the State government had decided to drop the 45,000 sq mtrs of land from the proposed 10 lakh sq mtrs for the IIT campus.
The villagers of Melauli have been protesting for over two months opposing the IIT project fearing that their livelihood will be at stake. The villagers, who are on an indefinite strike, have been demanding that the IIT campus be shifted out of their village.
The Chief Minister, last week had visited Shel-Melauli and met with the villagers. During the meeting, Sawant had assured to address all their grievances, while urging them to form a 20-member committee to handle the issue. The villagers, however, were firm on their demand to shift the project.
