Fact-finders see signs of graft in sustainable agricultural plan

By JAKRAPONG RAWIWAN 
THE NATION 

 

A FACT-FINDING committee has detected alleged irregularities in the implementation of a project designed to promote sustainable agricultural development based on King Rama IX’s initiatives. The Cabinet approved Bt22.8 billion for this national project last year.
 

The budget will be handed out to 9,101 agricultural communities across the country, each receiving about Bt2.5million.

 

Some farmers, suspected that corruption might have plagued the project’s implementation in their hometown, given that supplies related to the project were much higher than market prices. 

 

The farmers then submitted complaints to Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha via a government complaint-receiving centre. 

 

Colonel Manop Khaikhuntod, who heads a panel investigating alleged corruption involving the project in Kalasin province, disclosed recently that there were irregularities during project implementation. 

 

“We will nudge the province’s revenue and commerce offices to investigate two implicated shops,” he said.

 

While Doctor Kaset is the only supplier in the project, receipts given to buyers are issued by Boonma Panich, Manop said. 

 

An inspection at the address of Boonma Panich found that the place is not functioning as a shop, but rather as a house. The house owner said Boonma Yartprachum, who has registered Boonma Panich, was not at home when officials showed up to check. 

 

“But we have received information that he is a relative of Doctor Kaset’s owner,” Manop said. “We suspect that his shop was registered only to help Doctor Kaset evade high tax rates.

 

“Moreover, we have found that community committees, which mostly comprise community leaders, have signed the purchase contracts. By regulation, farmers’ groups must be the ones preparing such contracts,” Manop said. 

 

He spoke publicly after his committee investigated financial transactions involving the project for two local communities in Kalasin’s Yang Talat district: Bua Ban 1 and Bua Ban 2. Manop said his committee had also found that the committees were unable to produce important documents, including the list of member farmers and meeting reports. 

 

The probe also found that each bag of Clarias feed with at least 25-per-cent protein cost about Bt600 during the project’s implementation, while that bag would be available for no more than Bt450 on the open market. 

 

Manop further said the probe found that one private company had been chosen as the only supplier for 39 procurement plans in Kalasin’s Kuchinarai district under the project. 

 

“We have found that only one other company had submitted bids to compete in the auctions. And it had strangely lost in all auctions,” he said. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30337342

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-01-29

How completely surprising...these stupid governments here continue to hand out free money, which are always riddled with corruption.....!

I wonder if the PM will be held personally responsible as he made Yingluck?

3 minutes ago, ChrisY1 said:

How completely surprising...these stupid governments here continue to hand out free money, which are always riddled with corruption.....!

I don't know about corruption in this case but i do know that the Royal Project farms make great products that sell very well. Their shop on the ortorkor market is always busy and the vegy is of very high quality.

What i don't understand is how they can sell pie's which can be kept for 14!! days without refrigerating and still are good to sell. I have never seen that in the West, only in the frozen department of a supermarket.

 

The farmers should do their best to learn from this project and also study themselves about crops from the other side of the world (South America). There's so much more that can be grown here in Thailand if they only were more interested in it and not wait for daddy to give it to them. But mostly the farmers (and even the Kasetsart students) can't speak a word english so that sure works against them.

2 minutes ago, isaanbanhou said:

I wonder if the PM will be held personally responsible as he made Yingluck?

 

Nope... They granted themselves immunity, remember :) 

46 minutes ago, ChrisY1 said:

How completely surprising...these stupid governments here continue to hand out free money, which are always riddled with corruption.....!

agreed; any and every time money flows in thailand, there will be corruption; to thais , that is 'business'

Anything ,involving the Government where cash is involved,

there will be corruption,that's just a given.

 

regards worgeordie

1 hour ago, isaanbanhou said:

I wonder if the PM will be held personally responsible as he made Yingluck?

In the near future Belgravia and Chelsea may become 'Little Thailand' secure a spot for a som tam stall now!

5 hours ago, isaanbanhou said:

I wonder if the PM will be held personally responsible as he made Yingluck?

 

Was the corruption reported to him personally and then ignored?

 

Was the PM personally in charge of the project and never went to any of the meetings?

 

If so then he is probably liable, but if no corruption was reported to him and he had no direct contact or responsibility for the project then how would he be liable?

 

The term "government" is very broad.

 

Do you mean national, provincial, or local government? Does it come under one or more ministries?

 

Is it across every province or just Kalasin?

25 minutes ago, billd766 said:

 

Was the corruption reported to him personally and then ignored?

 

Was the PM personally in charge of the project and never went to any of the meetings?

 

If so then he is probably liable, but if no corruption was reported to him and he had no direct contact or responsibility for the project then how would he be liable?

 

The term "government" is very broad.

 

Do you mean national, provincial, or local government? Does it come under one or more ministries?

 

Is it across every province or just Kalasin?

 

And ...        

What's your best guess ?

 

7 hours ago, BernieOnTour said:

 

And ...        

What's your best guess ?

 

 

My best guess is that it is the provincial people that are involved. There was nothing in the report about any other provinces being affected, they may be but nothing else was brought up from other provinces.

 

There is a single supplier and a "relative" was at the house which is not a business. The paperwork was incorrect and the wrong people signed it.

 

I think somebody thought that they could make money the old way and went for it, not understanding that the old ways don't always work any more.

11 hours ago, Lupatria said:

In the near future Belgravia and Chelsea may become 'Little Thailand' secure a spot for a som tam stall now!

No Chance my friend crap like that will go to China

27 minutes ago, wakeupplease said:

No Chance my friend crap like that will go to China

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186338-d1007908-Reviews-Som_Tam_Thai_Restaurant-London_England.html

https://foursquare.com/top-places/london/best-places-papaya-salad