DECENTRALISATION
ANCHALEE KONGRUT
Moves are being made to enable tambon administration organisations (TAOs) across the country to take responsibility for town planning in their jurisdictions, Somchai Choomrat, the director-general of the Civil Works and Town Planning Department, said. Mr Somchai, who was speaking to 100 TAO chiefs at a workshop on town planning, said the move is part of the government's decentralisation scheme.
By 2012, he said, all TAO chiefs will become directors-general of civil works and town planning in their jurisdictions.
''You will have the power to draft your own town plan and execute it,'' he said.
The workshop, which runs for four weeks, is designed to help TAO administrators draft and enforce plans for towns. They are also learning about public participation and related laws, Mr Somchai said, adding there will be more workshops for other TAOs.
While developed countries have attached great importance to town planning and land use as a core part of town development, Thailand's town planning is in the early stages. The country's first town plan was drafted only a few decades ago. Bangkok was the first local administrative body to have a town plan, which was conceived in 1975.
Mr Somchai said it was too big a responsibility for the department to handle town planning nationwide and the agency, which faced heavy budget cuts, needed to delegate work to local bodies which now have their own money under the decentralisation scheme.
''It is logical for them to do their own town planning, with supervision from the central government,'' he said, adding the department, which is cash-strapped, had difficulties executing town plans. As a result, a number of infrastructure development projects like bridges and roads have been shelved.
He said better knowledge of town planning and development will help local bodies avoid projects that damage the environment. Starting from next year, 22 local bodies will take charge of their own town planning, while the department will supervise.
Prev
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Next
