Water projects; Working committee to study details of court order: Yingluck

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WATER PROJECTS
Working committee to study details of court order: Yingluck
The Nation


Srisuwan Janya, president of the Stop Global Warming Association, files a petition with the National Anti-Corruption Commission against Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra

Govt will hold public hearings in all provinces in compliance with ruling

BANGKOK: -- The government resolved yesterday to set up a working committee to interpret the Central Administrative Court's order related to the Bt350-billion water-management scheme.

Also, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will be asked to appoint Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana as chairman of the panel.

The decision was announced at a press conference held yesterday by PM's Office Ministry permanent secretary Tongthong Chandrangsu, Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi and secretary-general for the Office of the Council of State Achaporn Charuchinda.

The court ruled yesterday that the government needs to first carry out environmental and health impact assessments for projects considered harmful to the environment and communities.

Plodprasop said the government has worked hard in addressing problems that had contributed to the 2011 flood crisis. He said, the government was ready to comply with the law.

In compliance with the Constitution's Section 57 (2), he plans to hold a public hearing involving 20,000 to 40,000 individuals from each region. The hearings should take no more than two months to complete.

Meanwhile, the National Resources and Environment Ministry will survey possible impacts and report the results to the Water and Flood Management Commission as per the Constitution's Section 67 (2). He also urged academics and others who oppose the plan to voice their suggestions.

Achaporn added that there had still not been any discussion on communication with four private companies, which had won the bids for the nine modules.

He added that the government had already provided loans to finance the projects and the interest would be calculated from the day the loans are disbursed.

In another development, Srisuwan Janya, president of the Stop Global Warming Association, which took the case to court, yesterday filed a petition with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) against Yingluck and Tongthong for violating the charter when implementing the mega-water project.

Yingluck, meanwhile, said her government was ready to comply with the law, adding that the project was designed as a total solution for the country's flooding and drought situations. She went on to say that the project would also improve the irrigation system in some areas to ensure better harvests.

"We have been doing our best. Now that the Administrative Court has issued the order, the working committee will study it in detail," Yingluck said. "We will comply with the court's advice. It has affected some processes, so the committee needs to look at the details."

-- The Nation 2013-06-29

[hmj]

"... adding that the project was designed as a total solution for the country's
flooding and drought situations. She went on to say that the project would also
improve the irrigation system in some areas to ensure better harvests."

About time to put the plans on the table.

[OzMick]

You might think that some of the dams planned would have hydro-generation included to produce the cleanest and "greenest" power available, pleasing the Stop Global Warming Association.

OTOH their name could be a facade, like "Mum and Apple Pie", to conceal a pack of ill-informed do-gooders.

[soi41]

"... adding that the project was designed as a total solution for the country's

flooding and drought situations. She went on to say that the project would also

improve the irrigation system in some areas to ensure better harvests."

About time to put the plans on the table.

"to ensure better harvests"

Just what we need!! More rice.

[pb1936]

The project has hit the buffers. They have acted in a high-handed manner and failed to go public with details of the project so it is now the Court has brought them to heal.

This ought to be a monumental embarrassment for the Govt. but the report shows a flippant response.

[billd766]

What is there to interpret?

The government failed to comply with the laws of the country.

They broke the rules, got caught and STILL can't seem to understand what they did was wrong.

[tomross46]

Plodprasop said the government has worked hard in addressing problems that had contributed to the 2011 flood crisis. He said, the government was ready to comply with the law.

In compliance with the Constitution's Section 57 (2), he plans to hold a public hearing involving 20,000 to 40,000 individuals from each region. The hearings should take no more than two months to complete.

Is K. Plodprasop telling us that before the court made the ruling, the government was not going to comply with the law.

What is the plan? When will the plan be published? When will the people living in the affected areas be briefed? What areas are planned to be flooded? When is the government going to be transparent?

[billd766]

Fortunately K Plodprasop has gone from the Ministry that he held.

Maybe the new minister will be better or worse.

I have no idea who it is as they change more often than I have hot dinners and there will be another one coming along in a few months, equally qualified to do the job.

[OzMick]

Why is the M of Ed involved with this, and Thaksin's passport, rather than those assigned to the ministries involved - is it because everything is great with Education despite what he says, or that education is a low priority with this government?

Perhaps he's the only member of cabinet who can read without moving his lips.

[rubl]

I assume the new 'working' committee needs Education Minister Pongthep Thepkanchana to chair it because the water projects seem to include the need to educate the people about why they should be happy this benevolent government is taking the time and their money to do something or another with water.

[bigbamboo]

Mr Ed seems to be flavour of the month.

Expect him to be put in charge of rice very soon.

[Cyclist]

You might think that some of the dams planned would have hydro-generation included to produce the cleanest and "greenest" power available, pleasing the Stop Global Warming Association.

OTOH their name could be a facade, like "Mum and Apple Pie", to conceal a pack of ill-informed do-gooders.

Dams aren't really clean and green since they tend to produce a lot of methane which is more harmful the co2 gasses.

[Bagwan]

How many Thai politicians and civil servants does it need to study a Court order? In Thailand the term working committee is a oxymoron.

[OzMick]

You might think that some of the dams planned would have hydro-generation included to produce the cleanest and "greenest" power available, pleasing the Stop Global Warming Association.

OTOH their name could be a facade, like "Mum and Apple Pie", to conceal a pack of ill-informed do-gooders.

Dams aren't really clean and green since they tend to produce a lot of methane which is more harmful the co2 gasses.

It is formed by the rotting of vegetable matter carried by the river, and would otherwise happen in the ocean. But we can't say anything bad about the ocean, can we?