Panaji, Oct 20 (IANS): South Goa Member of Parliament Francisco Sardinha on Friday said that the BJP Government has no right to acquire private land for Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) when barren land is available with the government.

“BJP Government in Goa is trying to impose the destructive agenda of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Goans. The BJP government has no right to acquire private land for IIT when barren land is available with the government,” Congress leader Sardinha said.

According to Sardinha, when barren land of the government is available at many places, there is no need to acquire private land.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi's days are numbered now. Congress led INDIA bloc will form the government in 2024. We will scrap all anti-Goa, anti-environment projects initiated by the BJP government,” he said.

After facing stiff opposition to the IIT project at three sites, the Goa government has recently identified another place at Rivona in Sanguem taluka.

South Goa Collector Asvin Chandru A has issued a public notice in this regard stating “land in Rivona village of Sanguem is needed or is likely to be needed for setting up a permanent campus of IIT-Goa.” The land measures around 10 lakh sq mt.

Set up in July 2016, the IIT Goa campus is temporarily housed in Goa Engineering College (GEC) in Ponda-South district.

While working towards making Goa an educational hub, the government has also faced agitation while trying to provide land to such a big educational project.

Initially land was identified at Canacona in South Goa, which was cancelled on account of protests. Later the land was identified in Shel-Melauli in Sattari taluka of North Goa but the project over there had to be shelved due to protests by the people, citing environment.

After the move to shift the project to Cotarli in Sanguem met with objections from the IIT site selection committee, the government has identified a new site in Rivona in Sanguem taluka.