MARGAO
As the permanent campus of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Goa is slowly taking shape in the historic village of Cuncolim, a host of questions have come to the fore as the premiere institute is expected to start full-fledged operations in the next academic year.
When the NIT permanent campus was first mooted in Cuncolim, the proposal had met with opposition, over the acquisition of lakhs of square metres of land. The then government headed by Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar had handed out an assurance to keep the locals in good humour that the NIT will reserve 50 per cent of the seats for Goan students, provide jobs to the local youth and adopt local schools to raise their standards so that the students make it to the premier educational institute.
As the NIT campus is almost getting ready and only the services need to be put in place, locals have begun to ask about whether the promises by the government have been fulfilled, how many jobs have been created on the permanent campus and whether any local schools have been adopted by the institute till date.
Cuncolim-based doctor, Dr Jorson Fernandes pointed out that he and the people were never opposed to the NIT per se, but against the acquisition of Goa’s scarce land resource. “NIT is a good thing to happen, but we had then taken the plea that since the government has huge land in its possession acquired for the SEZ, food park, Zuari, Nylon 6,6, the institute should be set up on the acquired land," he said.
He added: “I can tell you, land acquisitions, whether for the NIT and IITs, are being proposed by vested interests with real estate in mind, hoping the real estate value of the adjoining land would increase after the NIT becomes a reality.”
Dr Jorson has demanded to know how many jobs have been created on the NIT Cuncolim campus to date, how many locals have got the jobs and how many would get employment in the future.
"The government had then promised that NIT would adopt the local student so that our boys and girl can compete and get entry into the NIT and IIT. Let the government explain how many local schools have been adopted to date or will be adopted in the future,” he added.
Former bureaucrat Elvis Gomes has echoed similar sentiments. He said the State government should tell Cuncolkars whether any of the promises handed out by the then government had been realized on the ground to date. “How many jobs have been created in the NIT Cuncolim campus and how many have gone for the local youth? Let the government explain how local schools have been adopted by the NIT to date or will be adopted in the future,” Elvis said.
He added: “The government had acquired over four lakh square metres of scarce land for the project. I am told that hill-cutting has been done on the property. Have the NIT planted the 10,000 trees inside the campus to date?”
Elvis demanded that the government come clear on all these issues before the NIT permanent campus is finally inaugurated before the next academic year.
Leader of Opposition, who represents the Cuncolim constituency, Yuri Alemao had made a fervent plea to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant at the Cuncolim Chieftain’s Day commemoration in July last to ensure that jobs in the NIT go to the local youth and the NIT fulfil the promises made to the Cuncolkars.
50% of NIT seats reserved for Goan youth: Director
MARGAO:
National Institute of Technology (NIT) Goa Director, Dr Gopal Mugeraya has said the permanent campus will start operations by the next academic year.
Saying that 50 per cent of the seats in the NIT have been reserved for the Goan youth, Dr Gopal said local youth will be certainly eligible for the jobs as and when vacancies are available.
On the adoption of local schools, Dr Gopal said the NIT has trained over 500 high school teachers across the State as part of the programme wherein they impart training to the students. “The NIT permanent campus will adopt the local schools and will be given facilities at the institute after its inauguration,” he said.
“The civil works are nearing completion. We have to only put in place the services, including water supply to the campus. We have already planted around 2,000 saplings on campus. We will achieve the target of 10,000 trees after the institute starts operations,” he said.
NIT may soon put Cuncolim on nation's edu map, but schools craving for attention
MARGAO: Cuncolim may soon find mention on the country’s education map after the inauguration of the NIT permanent campus in the village by the next academic year.
Sadly, while the government had acquired over four lakh square metres of land for the NIT project, the local schools and educational institutions are craving attention from the government for bare minimum facilities such as a playground.
The three existing high schools, two higher secondary schools and a college, all located within a 200-300 metre radius in the village, which has churned out thousands of students over the decades, have been craving the attention for common facilities, including playgrounds.
Traffic plying on the road by the side of these educational institutions is being diverted during peak school hours to streamline vehicular movement. While the government was prompt in acquiring land for the NIT, admeasuring lakhs of square metres, no such haste was shown by successive governments to make provision for at least common facilities for these three schools, if not shifting them to one place on the lines of Cujira, Bambolim.
