Call off flood projects for now: Thai activist

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Call off flood projects for now: activist
THE NATION



Let new govt decide on whether to push scheme, head of Eco group urges

BANGKOK: -- AN ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST has urged the government to cancel any projects it is conducting under the Bt350-billion water and flood management programme.

Stop Global Warming Association president Srisuwan Janya said the caretaker government should cancel all such projects and allow the new government to revise them once it takes office.

"These projects will be able to continue after the new government declares its policies to Parliament," he said.

His recommendation came after Water and Flood Management Commission (WFMC) secretary-general Suphot Tovichakchaikul on Monday told the press that even though Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had dissolved Parliament, the water-management scheme would be able to continue as it had been endorsed by an executive decree to borrow Bt350 billion for the project.

But Srisuwan said that instead of pushing ahead with the plan to construct infrastructure under this scheme, the interim government should wait for the new administration to decide whether to continue with it.

Moreover, the executive decree for the loan was not yet valid, he claimed, as the government had not yet allocated any money to contractors.

According to a ruling by the Central Administrative Court, the government is obligated to complete public hearings on this programme before it signs the contracts for the work.

"We have seen several incidences of strong opposition from local people at the public hearings," he said.

Under the programme, there are nine modules for construction of infrastructure including dams, reservoirs, and water-retention and early-warning systems.

The WFMC is now holding public hearings on the project as ordered by the Central Administrative Court. The last one will be in Bangkok probably next week, after the original date of December 6 was cancelled.

The rush to complete the rounds of public hearings has also raised eyebrows.

Suphot said the dissolution of the House of Representatives would delay the contract signing from January to February.

"The new government will have to sign the contracts, as no official or interim government can do this, as each contract is worth nearly Bt100 billion," he said.


-- The Nation 2013-12-11

[bangarang]

First of many to try to dip into the Suthep Honey pot. Of course he wants it stopped, im sure he wants to try and get more money from the deal.

[Showbags]

Stop it, let an impartial group investigate it so far and see how much and where the 350billion is right now and how much is missing and unaccounted for....that'll show em

[Emptyset]

Stop it, let an impartial group investigate it so far and see how much and where the 350billion is right now and how much is missing and unaccounted for....that'll show em

As far as I know only a fraction of it has actually been borrowed. But agree it's better to shelve these projects for now.

[DocN]

Stop it, let an impartial group investigate it so far and see how much and where the 350billion is right now and how much is missing and unaccounted for....that'll show em

...an "impartial group", that will be coming from...where?

[Showbags]

Stop it, let an impartial group investigate it so far and see how much and where the 350billion is right now and how much is missing and unaccounted for....that'll show em

...an "impartial group", that will be coming from...where?

Dunno...I just said the easy bit, hoped someone else would come up with the hard bit.

[robblok]

Stop it, let an impartial group investigate it so far and see how much and where the 350billion is right now and how much is missing and unaccounted for....that'll show em

...an "impartial group", that will be coming from...where?

So better not to check it at all ? Proof is proof unless faked of course.

Just remember the articles about government not letting people vote against it and paying people to vote for the flood projects. Go back in the archives here its been shown already here.

[DocN]

Stop it, let an impartial group investigate it so far and see how much and where the 350billion is right now and how much is missing and unaccounted for....that'll show em

...an "impartial group", that will be coming from...where?

So better not to check it at all ? Proof is proof unless faked of course.

Just remember the articles about government not letting people vote against it and paying people to vote for the flood projects. Go back in the archives here its been shown already here.

What is so difficult to understand about my question?

I asked, where that impartial group would come from.

Do you have an answer for that?

So what are you on about?

[robblok]

Stop it, let an impartial group investigate it so far and see how much and where the 350billion is right now and how much is missing and unaccounted for....that'll show em

...an "impartial group", that will be coming from...where?

So better not to check it at all ? Proof is proof unless faked of course.

Just remember the articles about government not letting people vote against it and paying people to vote for the flood projects. Go back in the archives here its been shown already here.

What is so difficult to understand about my question?

I asked, where that impartial group would come from.

Do you have an answer for that?

So what are you on about?

What I am on is that you seem to not want an investigation. I know having democrats investigating it or someone else isn't perfect but this government has tried to cover so many things up that I really don't care anymore who takes them down.

All proof is ok for me as long as not faked.

[Showbags]

I think Doc is saying 'give up now, cos that ain't gunna happen cos such a monster does not exist in this country'....not that he does not want to see it happen.