Farmers `tricked Into Paying For Free Cows'

[george]

Farmers `tricked into paying for free cows'

Thaksin told local politicians involved

KHON KAEN: -- Poor northeastern farmers are facing demands for kickbacks or be excluded from the government scheme to freely distribute cows and dig ponds, a rural community representative from Khon Kaen told Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a meeting at Government House yesterday.

At a meeting of local community leaders and the prime minister, Son Roopsoong said demands for kickbacks started when the government announced a project to distribute one million cows to poor farmers.

The demands have intensified in the past few months, he said, especially in Khon Kaen and Kalasin provinces as villagers were told to pay 500 baht for a cow and 2,500 baht for a pond.

The persons who made the demands claimed to represent politicians and managed to have village heads collect the money for them. Together with the demands, forms were distributed for villagers to fill in to convince them that their payment would secure the acceptance of cows or ponds in the future.

Villagers readily agree to pay as a cow is worth much more than the kickback, said Mr Son.

``As far as I have learned, village heads collect the money from their people. Villagers are afraid that they will not receive a cow but they are also stunned as they did not expect such demands. A lot of questions have been asked about government's policies. I think that the cow and the pond issues are very confusing all over the Northeast. Villagers are confused because they do not know which approaches are real or fake,'' Mr Son said.

He called on the prime minister to take action. In response, Mr Thaksin said the cow distribution project had not started but was only pioneered as a pilot project in Phrao district of Phayao province. He said he believed the villagers in the Northeast may have been scammed.

He said he had ordered officials to review the implementation of the cow project carefully as he now realised that the original method of implementation could leave room for corruption.

He promised tough action against any people who cheated villagers.

Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Newin Chidchob said he ordered the Livestock Department to investigate the alleged scams in Khon Kaen and Kalasin. He promised to take legal actions immediately if any wrongdoing is found.

``Many villagers become victims of this group which has connections with local politicians. I told the prime minister about it and he assured me those kinds of registration forms no longer exist,'' Mr Newin said.

--Bangkok Post 2005-06-21

[Khutan]

Cows or Buffalo's ?

[Jai Dee]

He promised tough action against any people who cheated villagers.

I hope he does what he promises...

I've seen first hand examples of corruption in Isaan local government where the poor villagers are always the losers.

[penzman]

Only the lowest form of life would extort money from the people who actually make it so that you can put food on your table. Make fertilizer out of them!

[mnoorsapl]

Free "mad cows"

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Free "mad cows" 

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[penzman]

Don't forget Foot-and-Mouth Disease. Seems like a prime minister has got it

Symptoms include salivation, lameness and decreased milk production.

[otherstuff1957]

Farmers `tricked into paying for free cows'

Thaksin told local politicians involved

Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Newin Chidchob said he ordered the Livestock Department to investigate the alleged scams in Khon Kaen and Kalasin. He promised to take legal actions immediately if any wrongdoing is found.

``Many villagers become victims of this group which has connections with local politicians. I told the prime minister about it and he assured me those kinds of registration forms no longer exist,'' Mr Newin said.

--Bangkok Post 2005-06-21

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I find the bit about Newin C. looking into a scam to be the most tragically humorous part of this whole affair! It's like putting the fox in charge of guarding the henhouse.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

or Dracula in charge of the Bloodbank

[Sphere]

or Dracula in charge of the Bloodbank 

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or MJ as a babysitter!

[TokyoT]

or Dracula in charge of the Bloodbank  

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or MJ as a babysitter!

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Ah come on Michel Jordan would make a great babysitter.