Team Herald
SANGUEM: A high level team of government officials visited the proposed site for IIT project in Sanguem to get acquainted with the topography of the proposed area to be acquired for the project.
The team consisted of South Goa Collector Anjali Sehrawat, Quepem Deputy Collector Rohit Kadam, Quepem Mamlatdar Prataprao, Mamlatdar Sanguem Laxmikant Dessai and survey officials.
The government has identified around 12 lakh square meters of green pastures for setting up the IIT at Sanguem. Initially, the government proposed to acquire land only in Cotarli village, however, later the adjoining area of Cotarli village which fall in Nagvem ward of Quepem taluka was also brought under the acquisition process.
Of the proposed 12 lakhs sq meters, around 9 lakh square meters of land is in the name of Goa Government which is determined to go ahead with the project despite recent objections raised by the farmers from the taluka.
Incidentally, one Nadkarni family from Sanguem claims to be the owner of a portion of even the government land, based on some old documents.
Major portion of the land proposed to be acquired is under paddy cultivation. Moreover, several natural springs and a hillock are within the proposed area and the farmers strongly oppose the acquisition proceedings fearing that it would result in the destruction of agricultural land which the farmers have been allegedly cultivating for generations.
