POLITICS
MONGKOL BANGPRAPA
Parliamentarians have agreed that a land plot owned by the Army's Ordnance Department in Nonthaburi's Pak Kret district is a possible suitable location for the new parliament building. In their joint meeting yesterday, MPs and senators considered narrowing down the more than 10 proposed sites to two _ the department's 265-rai land plot and the State Railway of Thailand's 165-rai tract in Klong Toey.
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej reportedly prefers the SRT's land.
House Speaker Chai Chidchob said, however, he will explain to Mr Samak the details of the Ordnance Department's land in the hope that Mr Samak will agree with the choice made by the members of the two chambers.
Mr Chai said he will ask the prime minister to allocate an initial two-billion-baht budget for the construction of the new parliament building.
The House Speaker was concerned that the Klong Toey area may not be a suitable location. There are thousands of families of slum-dwellers living there and the construction plan may face strong resistance from them.
Also, the SRT's land cannot be bought. It can only be rented on a yearly basis.
Deputy House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont proposed that parliament also buy a privately-owned 150-rai plot near the Ordnance Department's land so the new parliament compound could be much bigger.
Col Apiwan Wiriyachai, another deputy House speaker, said the prime minister, along with the speakers and deputies of both Houses, will inspect the SRT's land in Klong Toey today.
He added the new parliament site will be decided on this month.
Parliament would have the final say on the matter even though the prime minister favoured the SRT's land, he said adding that the government is responsible for financing the construction..
Prev
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Next
