Group wants court to block bidding
Pongphon Sarnsamak
The Nation

Environmental association says govt has ignored local people in its plans

BANGKOK: - The Anti Global Warming Association will file a lawsuit today asking the Central Administrative Court to hold an urgent inquiry session and issue an injunction suspending the bidding process for contracts under the government's Bt350-billion water management and flood infrastructure plan.

The government has said it will accept proposals from would-be bidders for projects in the mega-scheme on Friday.

Association president Srisuwan Janya said it was not right for the government to proceed with the scheme, because planning lacked participation from local people who would be affected by construction projects.

He said the plan does not follow strict measures mandated under the Constitution's articles 57, 58, 67(2) and 105, which require designated government agencies to conduct environmental and health impact assessments and that local people in areas to be affected are allowed to participate in the process.

Srisuwan also wants the court to cancel all of the Water and Flood Management Committee (WFMC)'s water and flood management projects, which are divided into nine modules, as well as the plan drawn up by the Committee for Water Resources Management (SCWRM).

He will also file a lawsuit against Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, the National Water Resources and Flood Policy Committee, the WFMC, and the SCWRM accusing them of violating the Constitution.

To prevent the government's ambitious plan from causing damage, Srisuwan will ask the court to call an urgent session to suspend the ongoing bidding process and order government agencies to hold public hearings and referenda on the project.

In a related development, an environmental group comprising the Thai Water Partnership Foundation, Thaiflood.com and a network of environmental and social activists yesterday submitted a petition to Yingluck and Deputy PM Plodprasop Suraswadi demanding they halt the water and flood management plan, citing concerns about the potentially huge impact on the environment and local people.

They plan to file another lawsuit against the government to the Central Administrative Court and submit the petition to the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate possible corruption under the plan.

DATE SET FOR FINAL PLANS

Meanwhile, the government will this Friday allow contenders for the water projects to submit their final plans for water and flood management infrastructure and systems in preparation for participation in the bidding.

Apichart Anukularmphai, a member of the WFMC, said the government would proceed with its plan to select eligible contenders to bid for the projects.

Apichart said the panel would set up a sub-committee to study the construction proposals it receives, before forwarding them to another committee chaired by Thongthong Chandrangsu, permanent secretary of the PM's Office Ministry, and to the Cabinet, which will make a final selection of eligible bidders by the end of May.

Thongthong said he had teamed up with the Council of State to carefully study the legal procedures for holding the bidding for water and flood management projects.

He said he was confident he would be able to explain to the court the legal procedures and other matters related to the bidding process.

"So far no administrative orders have been issued under the plan that would cause any damage," he said, adding that the plan complied with legal procedures.


-- The Nation 2013-05-01

Rehash of yesterdays article. It appears there may just be some people who can expose this project, like so many others, as just another source of income to the corrupt government officials behind it. I hope they are successful but let's wait and see if the court will uphold the law.