The youth wing of the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) has rued that the controversial proposal for a new shopping mall to come up on the Public Works Department land in Barik here has taken precedence over issues like pending teacher salaries, youth unemployment, underdeveloped villages and poor healthcare facilities.
KHNAM youth wing President Thomas Passah said today that a shopping mall “will require huge financial investment on the part of the government, which, according to our party, is unnecessary at this point of time, especially when the state is experiencing a financial crunch.”
Stating that the only people who will benefit from such a project are contractors with political connections and suppliers, he said, “The Urban Affairs Minister has already stated that the project will not be given a go-ahead without the consent of the public. It is clear that the general public, including the political partners in the coalition government, have expressed opposition to the project, so we hope that the government will not bulldoze its way past the view of the public.”
With a restless youth who are insecure and uncertain of the future, Passah said the project should be scrapped in favour of investment that will ensure the growth and welfare of the youth of the State.
