Goa Health Minister urges CM to drop proposal of IIT campus at Shel-Melaulim
Last week, at least 12 policemen and several villagers were injured when they clashed with each other in the forest area near Shel-Melaulim village in Sattari taluka.
Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane has requested Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to drop the proposal of setting up an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus at Shel-Melaulim and said he will not allow the construction of the same. While speaking to the reporters, the MLA from Valpoi in Sattari said that he has written to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant urging him to drop the proposal and withdraw police cases lodged against locals who had staged an agitation at Shel-Melaulim last week.
Last week, at least 12 policemen and several villagers were injured when they clashed with each other in the forest area near Shel-Melaulim village in Sattari taluka.
"The IIT campus was planned in the village as a part of the development plan for the constituency. However, locals have been opposing it vehemently. If locals don't want it, I feel the state government should not go ahead with the project," Rane said. The situation in Shel-Melaulim worsened after police entered the village and assaulted locals, he said. "I have asked the chief minister to take action against police officers who assaulted women during the protest," he said. Rane vowed that he will not allow the IIT campus to be set up anywhere in his constituency.
"The chief minister can set up the campus anywhere in the state, but we don't want it in our constituency," the minister said.
Rane said he has been working under the guidance of BJP national leader Amit Shah and local leaders including Pramod Sawant and party state unit president Sadanand Tanavade. The minister said he will continue working for Goa under the BJP leadership, but his decision to demand scrapping of IIT from Sattari was a result of public sentiments.
Rane recalled that his father Congress MLA Pratapsingh Rane has worked for Sattari taluka tirelessly and he has been carrying forward his father's legacy. "The people of Sattari are like my family and I stand with them," he added.
Read More:
Follow Shiksha.com for latest education news in detail on Exam Results, Dates, Admit Cards, & Schedules, Colleges & Universities news related to Admissions & Courses, Board exams, Scholarships, Careers, Education Events, New education policies & Regulations.
To get in touch with Shiksha news team, please write to us at news@shiksha.com
She has over 10 years of experience in the education and publishing sectors. She specialises in exam coverage and content creation. At Shiksha, she writes, analyses, and presents information for students preparing f
Read Full Bio