The first Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus in Goa was announced in May 2016 after the Centre alloted the autonomous institute to the state in 2014. A 300-acre permanent campus was proposed at Loliem village under the Loliem-Pollem panchayat in South Goa. A committee formed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) selected the site.
The proposed site falls in an uninhabited laterite plateau, which is partly covered by a forest and partly used by farmers for monsoon cultivation, cashew plantations, grazing and also as a sacred site. The settlements in Loliem are on the slopes of the periphery plateau, which is also a principal source of water for the village. The porous laterite absorbs rainwater, lets it out in springs and recharges aquifers.
The residents of Loliem came together under the banner of Citizens Committee of Loliem to oppose the IIT, saying that it threatens their water and livelihood security as well as their cultural rights. They also wanted to preserve the forested parts of the plateau, which share their borders with the Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary and Anshi Tiger Reserve. Both the Madhav Gadgil and K. Kasturirangan Committees on Western Ghats had recommended the plateau to be notified as an eco-sensitive zone.
However, the land falls under the Comunidade of Loliem - a system dating back from before the Portuguese where a committee of native inhabitants of the village collectively own land and decide how it is put to use. The members also share the generated revenue, if any. A communidade, however, is not representative of all the residents of a village.
In February 2016, the Comunidade gave its consent to transfer the land to the state government for setting up the IIT. In the same month, the Goa government moved an amendment to the Goa Legislative Diploma No. 2070, which consists of the rules of Comunidades, to officially allow the Comunidade of Loliem to "grant" land to the state government for premier educational institutes of national importance without auction. This amendment enabled the government to get possession of the land, following which the campus was proposed in May.
Loliem residents wrote letters to the HRD ministry and the state government asking for the relocation of the IIT. In October 2016, they managed to pass a gram sabha (village assembly) resolution banning any non-traditional use of the plateau land.
In November that year, a special gram sabha was called under heavy police presence to take a vote on the IIT. About 2,000 people had gathered to participate, but the hearing was abruptly adjourned by the sarpanch (village assembly head), who was in favour of the project and is a member of the Comunidade of Loliem. A commotion followed the adjournment and several villagers tried to block the sarpanch's vehicle from leaving the site. The sarpanch later filed a police complaint against eight persons on charges of rioting, wrongful restraint and assault.
In June 2017, when the panchayat polls were due and the establishment of the IIT had become a decisive issue, then Chief Minister (now deceased) Manohar Parrikar announced to shift the IIT campus to another location. An alternative site was proposed in Sanguem tehsil and in Nagvem village of Quepem tehsil in South Goa, providing relief to the residents of Loliem.
Since 2016, the IIT has been functioning from a temporary campus shared with the Goa Engineering College in Farmagudi village in South Goa.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Opposition against environmental degradation
Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common
Forest and Non-Forest
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Project scrapped
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Grazing, Other Natural Resource extraction/dependence, Religious/Sacred/Cultural value
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
10
Type of investment:
Year of Estimation
2016
Has the Conflict Ended?
Yes
When did it end?
June 2017
Why did the conflict end?
Community's original demands were met
In June 2017, then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar (now deceased) announced to shift the IIT campus to another location. An alternative site was proposed in Sanguem tehsil and in Nagvem village of Quepem tehsil in South Goa, providing relief to the residents of Loliem.
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Other
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Lack of legal protection over land rights
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Physical attack
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
In November 2016, residents of Loliem tried to block the sarpanch's vehicle during a public hearing. The sarpanch later filed a police complaint against eight villagers on charges of rioting, wrongful restraint and assault.
Date of Violation
November 26, 2016
Location of Violation
Loliem
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
State department of Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Comunidade of Loliem, Citizens Committee of Loliem, Gram Panchayat of Loliem-Pollem
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
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