Nakhon Ratchasima: Elite 'grabbed land meant for poor farmers'

[StrontiumDog]

Elite 'grabbed land meant for poor farmers' - The Nation

Elite 'grabbed land meant for poor farmers'

Piyanuch Thamnukasetchai,
The Nation on Sunday September 16, 2012 1:00 am

The Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) has found that high-ranking officials, families of the elite and wealthy businessmen own land plots in Lamtakong settlement in Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Chong district, which was meant to be allotted to poor farmers.

PACC secretary-general Dussadee Arayawut said yesterday the agency conducted a random check on land ownership in the Lamtakong land settlement after complaints of irregularities. It found that most people who had been given plots weren't qualified because they were not farmers affected by the construction of Lamtakong Dam.

Resort-style homes had been built on the land and the owners had not done any farming there.

The anti-graft agency had asked the Cooperative Promotion Department to check the qualifications of land recipients and suspend further allocations. Land should be seized from those who did not qualify for the scheme. Other land settlements would also be checked to prevent a repeat of the scenario where the rich get free land and the poor end up encroaching on forests.

A source said a random check of 50 plots found a number of big businessmen and high-ranking officials owned land in the Lamtakong settlement. Only poor farmers without land and those affected by the Lamtakong Dam, including those who had lived there earlier, were entitled to get free land for settlement. Corrupt officials were believed to have overlooked the qualification for recipients.

"Members of the Lamtakong land resettlement may have given false statements about their income and the officials intentionally failed to check their qualifications even though they could have easily cross-checked with the social security and company data base, the source said.

People qualified for the scheme were eligible to receive five rai of land in the first year and another five rai in the second year if they provided evidence they would use the land for agriculture. The maximum land they can receive is 20 rai.

"Land recipients normally hire workers to grow tapioca and take pictures of the plantation to the office to claim the maximum 20 rai. They then build a house and register their housing registration as required by the rules,'' he said.

There are up to 10,000 members in land settlements. Among them are big and famous family names such as Tangsupanit, Watcharapai, Chirathiwat, Sawatdiwat, Aksaranuwat, Ruangkrittaya, Chakkapak, Sutabutr, Panitchakul, and Satirabutr.

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PACC finds new evidence of land graft | Bangkok Post: news

PACC finds new evidence of land graft

• Published: 16/09/2012 at 01:51 AM
• Newspaper section: News

Many wealthy families and high-ranking government officials have illegally occupied land plots at a self-help settlement in Nakhon Ratchasima earmarked for dam-affected residents and landless farmers, the national anti-graft agency has found.

The Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) recently conducted a random inspection of 50 land plots at Lam Takhong self-help settlement in tambon Musee of Pak Chong district and found signs of irregularities, said a source at the PACC.

The agency found most plots were occupied by businessmen and high-ranking government officials, instead of local residents affected by construction of the Lam Takhong dam, landless farmers and those who had made use of the land beforehand.

The allocation of land plots had not followed a 1968 law which states that members of the settlement must be landless farmers.

"It is likely that those who applied for and obtained membership with the settlement's cooperative may have given false statements saying that they have no occupation or have little income," the source said.

"Officials are also believed to have been negligent in their duties by not checking their qualifications."

A list of members of the settlement's cooperative showed that many wealthy families applied for membership between 1994 and 1996.

Outgoing PACC secretary-general Dussadee Arayawuthi yesterday said that the random inspection found most of owners lacked the necessary qualifications to occupy the land.

They were neither farmers affected by construction of Lam Takhong dam nor landless farmers.

The inspection found only one farmer used land at the settlement for agricultural purposes, while the others turned the plots into resorts, Pol Col Dussadee said.

[Mid]

and what will happen ?

zilch , zero , zip .

[thehighlander959]

Thats normal in Thailand.... And Mid you are right feck all will be done about it as normal....

[Rural Surin]

Thats normal in Thailand.... And Mid you are right feck all will be done about it as normal....

So you might wonder why it is brought to issue from two establishment/elite-based media outlets?

Rhetoric. Bullshitery.

Nothing has changed here in a hundred years and beyond.
And don't expect progressive or positive changes any time soon.

Same as it ever was.

[somtamslap]

Yes, Pak Chong is becoming inundated with rich Bangkokian twats - I mean, really fucking rich! Where the hell do they get it all from?

[Bobcock]

Same as it ever was.

Nonsense, we have a Government thats supports democracy and justice in place now.

The sun is shining and all is right with the world.

Honest, Loose Bowels told me.

[baldrick]

I mean, really fucking rich! Where the hell do they get it all from?

selling things they get for free

[kmart]

Nakhon Ratchasima: Elite 'grabbed land meant for poor farmers'

It would occasionally be nice to read a "Poor Farmers Grab Land For Luxury Condos" headline. Sort of a "man bites dog" story. We live in hope.

[Tom Sawyer]

I mean, really fucking rich! Where the hell do they get it all from?

selling things they get for free

Correction: Selling things given to them for free, that belonged to all the people of Thailand, by people who didn't own it and weren't elected by anyone to do anything with it.

But all is ok in Korat now because Prem gave out scholerships worth some 5.5 million baht to 1900 poor kids, or roughly 2,800 baht each. That will buy them a place in Chula or Thammasat I'm sure.

[Butterfly]

Honest, Loose Bowels told me.

can't argue with that,

[Tom Sawyer]

^
You're a traitor to socialism and should have your head shaved. Oh look, it's already shaved in a faggy kind of way.

[baldrick]

Correction: Selling things given to them for free

technical correction - selling stuff they have stolen

[Tom Sawyer]

Nah, it's all sin nam jai I'm sure..