PM inspects flood situation in Lopburi

LOPBURI, Sept 25 - Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra visited flood-hit areas in the central province of Lopburi, pledging speedy assistance and full support for flood victims.

Accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit and Transport Minister Sukampol Suwannathat, the prime minister arrived at Ban Mi district and was briefed by Lopburi governor Chartchai Promlert that all eleven districts were declared disaster zones and flooding was likely to remain for the next two months.

The governor asked the government to increase compensation for crops damaged by flood, as the 2,222 baht compensatory money per rai (0.4 acre) was not adequate.

The Prime Minister said she assigned the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to conduct a survey on the damages. Currently, the government policy is to give assistance money that covers 55 percent of the damages.

The Ministry will consider more assistance for additional damages in some areas. It will discuss if some regulations related to flood assistance may be relaxed to speed up the disbursement process.

After the briefing, Ms Yingluck travelled to Thepampai Temple by a boat to hand flood relief supplies to flood victims. She gave them morale support, saying the government is ready to fully support them and compensate them for damaged houses and crops. The government will expedite paying them and repairing damaged roads.

The Interior Ministry will also provide more 500 flat-bottomed boats to help flood victims on Monday.

Ms Yingluck ordered the governor to work with school directors to find temporary classrooms for students while their schools were under water and instructed the Ministry of Labour to offer occupational training for villagers.

The prime minister and her team also visited two local residents, a mother and a daughter, whose homes were flooded and damaged by fire at the same time, in Lop Buri's Tha Wung District.

The victims will receive the! compens ation money of Bt240,000 under the assistance criteria for totally damaged homes. Initially, Lop Buri province gave this family a sum of Bt39,000.

In addition, Ms Yingluck called mudslide victims in the northern province of Chiang Mai's Fang district, while also providing the victim's families financial assistance.

Deputy Finance Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom was assigned by the premier to visit flood-hit areas and to disburse donated money to flood victims whose homes were totally damaged.(MCOT online news)