PANJIM: Amidst the ongoing storm amongst villagers over the IIT project in Loliem-Pollem village, a delegation under the banner MIND (Movement for IIT & National Development) on Thursday petitioned Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar to set up a committee to draft a comprehensive report on the infrastructure the government proposes to provide to the village while setting up an IIT.
MIND also demanded that the government approach the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development to set up a high-level committee, on the lines of IIT at Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, to prepare an Ecological Management Plan that would allay all fears of ecological damage and have concrete plans to preserve and develop the biodiversity of the village.
A ten-member delegation of villagers led by Loliem-Pollem Sarpanch Bhushan Prabhugaonkar Thursday morning submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar extending their support to the project, which is currently facing opposition. The move comes just days after a gram sabha in the village remained inconclusive over the issue due to confusion over the number of voters. Over 1500 had attended the gram sabha held on Nov 27.
Thanking the government for selecting Loliem-Pollem to set up the IIT, the memorandum says, “The project will come up on around 12 lakh sq mtrs of land on Bhagwati plateau made available by the Loliem Comunidade, with a condition not to dig any bore well in the campus.”
It adds, “However, till, date there is no report on the infrastructural development plans that would also benefit the village and Canacona taluka. In the absence of such concrete plans, lots of misconceptions are being created and misinformation being spread in the village. This has led to verbal clashes at the recently held gram sabha, where the sarpanch was also manhandled.”
The delegation has demanded setting up of a committee at the State level of all the concerned departments and IIT officials, to draft a report on the project and infrastructural facilities like water, power, sewerage, garbage disposal, roads etc to be provided to the whole village without affecting the ecology and water sources as well as the employment and business opportunities that would be made available to the locals.
It also demanded that a Regional Plan for Loliem-Pollem village be drafted for next 10 years (including Poinguinim), so that the village is developed without converting it into an unplanned concrete jungle and disturbing the core nature of a village.
“We also want government to take action against the rowdy elements who tried to attack the Sarpanch on the day of gram sabha after it was adjourned,” they demanded.
The delegation included Deputy Sarpanch Ashutosh Bandekar, panch members Virendra Naik, Vinda Satarkar and Shilpa Deykar, Comunidade Attorney Darshan Prabhugaonkar, former sarpanch Mohandas Lolienkar, Nirakar Education Society Chairman Prashant Naik, Arun Bhat and Sandesh Prabhudesai.
