Goa govt calls off proposal to construct IIT at Canacona

The Goa government today called off the proposal to construct the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus at Canacona village in northern part of the state after the locals expressed apprehensions about the project.
"There are apprehensions in the mind of people from Canacona about having IIT campus constructed there.
"Their apprehensions are wrong but we have decided to search for an alternate place to have this project," Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told reporters.
Parrikar said the state government has various options to shift the IIT including the proposal to construct it in Ponda taluka, where two huge land plots are already under consideration.

The chief minister said the site for constructing IIT would be finalised by next month.
Parrikar said the project requires huge land of around 10-11 lakh square metres.

"Having such a premium institute in Goa will help the state," he said.
Goa government's proposal to have IIT at Canacona had run into rough weather after a section of locals did not want to part away their plateau for the project.
Meanwhile, the state cabinet that met this morning accorded its approval for transfer of 4,56,767 sq m of land at Cuncolim to Union Ministry of Human Resource Development for setting up National Institute of Technology (NIT), after Ministry assured to reserve 40 per cent seats exclusively for the State.