Government Is Fooling Goans On IIT Project : Amarnath Panjikar

Panaji :

BJP Government in Goa is desperately trying to identify and acquire huge land of approximately 10-15 lakhs square metres and gift it to the Central Government for setting up IIT Project by putting burden of 60 crores on the State Treasury and destroying the Environment and Green Cover of Goa. There is vested interest of senior ministers in the entire land acquisition process, charged Congress Media Cell Chairman Amarnath Panjikar. He was accompanied by Youth Congress Leader Saeesh Aroskar and Sevadal Social Media Coordinator Amol Dharwadkar.

It is shocking to know that the Government has not prepared the Detailed Project Report (DPR) before identifying the land at Rivona and showing it to the Site Selection Committee of Government of India. The Government has not taken any steps to study the impact on Environment and Green Cover as well as on Demography of Goa till date, stated Amarnath Panjikar.

The data provided by the Education Department to the Goa Legislative Assembly shows that out of 329 Jobs available at IIT, only 140 Goans are working of which just 14 are on Regular basis. There are no Job Reservations for Goans in IIT. The data of National Institute of Technology (NIT) shows that out of 195 jobs available, only 130 Goans are employed of which only 15 are on regular basis and 112 are on Outsourced Temporary basis. This shows that these Institutes do not create major Employment Opportunities, said Amarnath Panjikar.

It is observed that the Government has allotted 50000 square metres land to Ayush Hospital at Dhargal where out of 220 Jobs available, 204 Goans are working on Contractual basis, stated Amarnath Panjikar.

Government has planned to give 50 acres of land to India International University of Legal Education and Research. The said Institution has 44 Jobs, of which only 11 are Goans working on Contractual basis. It is surprising that the Government has allotted Kala Bhavan at Sancoale to the said Institute but the rent is still not finalised, claimed Amarnath Panjikar.

Goa Institute of Management (GIM) has 378 Jobs available, of which only 53 Goans are working on regular basis and 43 on Contract basis. It is shocking that 196 are employed by Third Party in the said Institute, pointed Amarnath Panjikar.

The latest Incident of Garbage of NIT dumped in various areas of Cuncolim Constituency has exposed that these Institutes will turn out to be a curse to the Local Residents in the near future. These Institutes will severely change the Demography of the State which may eventually result in social conflicts, said Amarnath Panjikar.

We will soon expose the proposal of the Government on Film City which is also pushed due to vested interest of certain people close to the BJP. We will oppose IIT, Film City Projects unless the Government prepares DPRs, conducts Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and explores the alternate barren lands earlier given to Nylon-66, SEZ Projects etc., warned Amarnath Panjikar.