Special Thai Cabinet meeting to review flood rehab budget

BANGKOK, December 6 (TNA) - A special Thai Cabinet meeting will be held next week to consider the allocation of state budget for post-flood rehabilitation and compensation plans to ensure the most efficiency and to avoid any duplication. Thai Deputy Prime Minister Kittirat Na Ranong, who is also Commerce Minister concurrently, told reporters after the Cabinet weekly meeting today that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has ordered the holding of the special Cabinet meeting as soon as possible to quickly assist flood victims, and that governors of all flood-stricken provinces will also be invited to attend the special Cabinet meeting to propose their post-flood rehabilitation and compensation programs. Meanwhile, Thai Government Spokeswoman Thitima Chaisaeng revealed that a total state budget of some 20 billion baht has been sought by several agencies for post-flood basic infrastructure and social rehabilitation projects and the prime minister has instructed the Office of the National Economic and Social Development (NESDB) and the Bureau of the Budget to review the proposed projects in details to avoid any duplication and to prioritize emergency projects, including repairs of damaged roads in flood-hit areas and the Bang Chom Sri sluice gate in the central Singburi Province, as well as the restoration of Bangkok's Don Meuang Airport. (TNA)