SUVARNABHUMI / SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE ZONE

Cabinet approves bill's withdrawal

Surveys find project ignores public opinion

ANUCHA CHAROENPO & SUTHIWIT CHAYUTWORAKAN

The cabinet yesterday accepted the Interior Ministry's request to withdraw the draft bill on the proposed establishment of a special administrative zone around Suvarnabhumi airport from scrutiny by the Council of State. The move comes after the Thaksin government-initiated project was blasted in a series of opinion polls conducted by the ministry for not taking local views into account.

Deputy government spokeswoman Netpreeya Chumchaiyo said the request was accepted after the ministry forwarded the findings and recommendations of a series of public surveys on the draft bill.

The ministry started making the surveys soon after the cabinet of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra approved the project on June 20 last year.

Mrs Netpreeya said most respondents in the surveys disagreed with the plan to remove Lat Krabang and Prawet districts from Bangkok's administration and merge them with the planned Suvarnabhumi Metropolis, because they were satisfied with the development plan in their areas.

They were of the view that merging of Bang Phli district and Bang Sao Thong sub-district of Samut Prakan into the new city would not be a significant step forward.

They suggested it would be better to include the whole province of Samut Prakan in the project.

Mrs Netpreeya said most of the respondents also disagreed with the establishment of a town around Suvarnabhumi airport. even though the Thaksin government had given residents an assurance that only 30% of the land designated for development would actually be used for the purpose.

The ministry has also suggested that the government set up an organisation in the form of a land development panel to coordinate with state-run agencies involved in the development of this specific area.

She said it was still too early to say whether the government would approve or disapprove the bill.

If the Interior Ministry continued to push for it, then it would have to be thoroughly reviewed and amended before being returned to the cabinet for reconsideration, she said.

Local authorities also do not agree with the development plan.

Prachuap Leelaphatrakorn, mayor of Bang Sao Thong municipality, believed that tambon Bang Sao Thong would develop faster under the supervision of a municipality. His municipality had enough resources to manage the development of the area on its own.

Phatthanaphong Jongrakdee, mayor of tambon Bang Phli municipality, said the only reason he opposed to bill was because it did not promote democracy, as the first governor would be appointed, not elected.

Bangkok Post

Wednesday April 04, 2007