B28bn plan approved for provinces
A provincial policy and cluster committee has approved a budget worth 28 billion baht for provincial development projects.
Chukiat Rattanachaichan, secretarygeneral of the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission, said yesterday the committee agreed to allocate the funds for local development projects nationwide.
He was speaking at Government House yesterday following the committee meeting chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chano-cha. Mr Chukiat said the budget will be divided into two parts: 20 billion baht for projects in individual provinces and the rest reserved as additional funds for projects undertaken by a cluster of provinces.
The budget will be proposed to the cabinet for endorsement, and then forwarded to the local administrative offices in each province.
Mr Chukiat said Gen Prayut has stressed the budget must be spent in accordance with the committee’s wishes and the government’s strategies.
Porametee Vimolsiri, secretary-general of the National Economic and Social Development Board, said the premier insisted the projects must satisfy three criteria for the funds to be disbursed.
First, the projects must be labelled as One Tambon One Product (Otop) items for export to neighbouring countries. Second, the production process of the Otop products must be conducted systematically and overseen by local administrative officials. Lastly, each province has to submit a longterm development plan for the products between 2017-2021.
Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda said yesterday part of the budget will finance natural water source development and boost local tourism in the provinces.
Gen Anupong said the budget allocation does not require a legal amendment. Only some regulations of the local organisations need changes.
Meanwhile, Raweewan Bhuridej, secretary-general of the National Land Policy Committee, said state land covering 325,205 rai in 47 provinces will be allocated to landless people for farming. The land earmarked for distribution, which is also non-transferable, includes Treasury Department land and plots belonging to the Agricultural Land Reform Office.