Farmers protest against the proposed campus of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Goa. They claim that the state government is acquiring their lands without their consent.
A team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Nilesh Rane tried to pacify the farmers, but they continued their protest. A woman farmer told police, “We are cultivating paddy at the site where the government wants to acquire land for the IIT campus in Goa. We don’t want IITs.” She claimed that the state government was acquiring land without the consent of the farmers who have been cultivating it for generations. Some other protesters said they would not allow the demarcation process to take place. A senior police official said that the Sangem police have registered a case against the protesting farmers for obstructing the land demarcation work.
At the same time, the Chief Minister said, “The land on which the IIT is proposed belongs to the government. Some people are grabbing the land.” Sawant said, “We will ensure that people do not face any injustice. If someone is a tenant or has any document to prove the ownership of (land), they can submit it to the district collector.” Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Sangem Subhash Phal Desai said the setting up of an IIT campus in Goa would help generate employment opportunities for the local people.
