Government should functionalize the Forest Colony Shopping Complex
On 9th June 2011 at the State Planning Board meeting held at the Chief Minister’s office, decision was taken to construct “Shopping Complex and Parking Plaza at Forest Colony, Dimapur.” The so-called shopping complex was built with funding from the Ministry of Urban Development and HUDCO. It was constructed at a cost of Rs. 43 Crore. Thus according to the RTI filed by the RPP, the state Planning and Co-ordination department/State Planning Boardconceptualized and built the complex in Forest department landwhich in turn was funded by the Urban Ministry.
Firstly, as per the RTI, the Forest department claims that it owns the complex. Nowhere in the world Forest departments/Ministry manages shopping complexes and therefore, it is suspected that the building is already in the hands of a private entity. Thisalso means that the government’s intention was clear and insidious right from the beginning. Having constructed the shopping plaza in government land actually belonging to the Forest Department, the powers-be wanted a private entity to manage the shopping complexas private property but due to public outcry at that time over the actual ownership of the building complex, it couldn’t be made functional and thus over the years the complex has grown derelict. This case is a powerful example of wastage of public resources and the state being run as a fief-dom.
Secondly, the RPP will continue to oppose any move to privatize the complex by the state government. It’s also opposed to the Forest department managing the complex since the connection between the two is dubious.
Finally, the RPP demands thatthrough aMoU the government hand over the complex to the Naga entrepreneurial community. Having declared meaningless “Year of Farmers” and “Year of Entrepreneurs” in the past, the government can now actually empower a generation of young entrepreneurs with its concrete action. The RPP also appeals to the Naga entrepreneurial community to take ownership of the issue.
Issued by Rising People’s party
27th September 2021