SANGUEM: The farmers opposing the government’s move to set up an Indian Institute of Technology campus (IIT) at Cotarli Sanguem on Sunday sought divine intervention to stop the project.
A large numbers of farmers having their agricultural plantation within the area proposed for the IIT project gathered at the project site and sought divine intervention by breaking a coconut and offering prayers to the local deity to protect their agricultural lands and also praying for better sense to prevail in the minds of people who are trying to build the project on agricultural land.
The meeting was also attended by environmentalist Abhijit Desai who assured the farmers of his wholehearted supported. On the occasion, Desai explained the damage that would be caused to the environment if the project is allowed to come at the site.
Incidentally, despite the stiff opposition from the farming community, the government is slowly moving ahead with the land acquisition process and had even surveyed the area last week under heavy police protection.
The farmers alleged that the government is trying to forcibly impose the project on them without considering the objections raised by them.
The agriculturists also wondered whether ex-MLA Subhash Phaldessai and sitting MLA Prasad Gaonkar are supporting the government move without taking the farmers into confidence.
The opposition for the project from the farmers side is not new but is seen from day one since the Government announced the shifting of project from Canacona to Sanguem.
Over a period of time, the opposition for the project has increased and the farmers are now supported by locals who fear severe drinking water and electricity supply problems in the taluka and elsewhere in the event the project is allowed in Sanguem.
As the project will be a home for over 12,000 people, the locals wonder as to from where the government would provide water and electricity to the project site.
