Thailand disasters exaggerated for increased funds
Bangkok Post: 24 Jan 2010
Disasters were 'exaggerated' to get more money
AUTHORITIES EXPLOIT EMERGENCY FUNDSAuthorities in six northeastern provinces have exaggerated the extent of disasters in their areas to obtain more emergency funds than needed, says the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission.
Pinyo Thongchai, the commission's secretary-general, said 70 officials have inspected areas that had previously been declared disaster zones in Surin, Roi Et, Kalasin, Udon Thani, Sakon Nakhon and Nakhon Phanom.
They found that in many cases, the disaster relief and emergency fund had been disbursed in violation of Finance Ministry regulations.
In some cases, the commission found that emergency funding had not been spent on the reconstruction of public utilities in disaster-stricken areas.
Mr Pinyo said many provinces had exaggerated the seriousness of the situation when declaring an area a disaster zone. The declaration is a necessary step before relief money can be disbursed.
Mr Pinyo said in one instance an entire province had been designated a disaster zone when in fact only two districts were affected. He did not say which province made the false claim.
The exaggeration would enable the province to obtain more relief money.
In other provinces, disaster areas were declared even though the situation was not critical enough to claim a disaster had taken place.
The commission has surveyed 80 disaster-struck locations in the six provinces and found that 90% of the claims may have been exaggerated.
He said the commission would gather more evidence and if abuse was confirmed, the findings would be sent to the Justice Ministry.
Meanwhile, an early dry season is expected this year in many parts of the country. In Nakhon Ratchasima, farmers in Pak Thong Chai and Chok Chai districts were warned not to plant second-season rice as water levels in the main Lam Phraplern reservoir are lower than normal.
Chamlong Pinijkarn, the reservoir's director of water supply and maintenance, said water levels have dropped to only half of the reservoir's storage capacity of 110 million cubic metres.
The water must be conserved for the two districts to use as tap water, he said. The second-season rice crop, harvested in May, consumes at least 70 million cubic metres of water, he added.
Mr Chamlong said the local irrigation office may ask the provincial agriculture authority to create artificial rain in the event of critical water shortage.
Farmer Lamom Fungsuk, 60, of Ban Nong Chok, Pak Thong Chai district, said he has cancelled his second rice planting and switched to drought-resistant crops.
"It's better to give it up now than to suffer later. If we invest and there's no water to last the season, we'll go broke," he said.
In Phichit, unseasonal weather has damaged the prized Mayong Chid fruit. Heavy rains in the middle of the cool season are to blame for low yields of the yellow, egg-shaped fruit, said Thongchai Muttara, an orchard owner in Sak Lek district. It is produced mostly for export.
More rain is on the way in the upper regions of the North and Northeast in the next few days, according to the Meteorological Department.
In many parts of the country, temperatures will drop by 2C to 4C, as a cold spell from China is forecast to hit the Northeast.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/31545/disasters-were-exaggerated-to-get-more-money
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