Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will hand over a compensation cheque for 1.2 million baht to the well-known Grandma Hai in Ubon Ratchathani on Oct 10, PM’s Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey said on Friday afternoon.
The compensation is for her farmland, which was inundated by the construction of a small dam in Na Tan district of the far northeastern province.
“The prime minister will also record his “Confidence in Thailand with PM Abhisit” weekly programe broadcast on NBT while he is in the province,” Mr Sathit said.
The programme will be recorded and then broadcast on Sunday, Oct 11, he said.
Mr Abhisit is scheduled to visit Muang Samsib district to follow up the progress of Thai Khem Kaeng (Strong Thailand) stimulus projects. He will return to Bangkok in late afternoon on the same day.
Eighty-year-old grandmother Hai Khanjanta is being awarded 1.2 million baht in compensation after having fought for 30 years to reclaim her land after the construction of a dam.
The cabinet agreed on Sept 22 to pay Mrs Hai, Sua Khamphan and Fong Khanjanta a combined 4.9 million baht for opportunities lost because of the dam's construction.
Mr Sua will receive 2.4 million baht and Mr Fong 1.3 million baht.
Mrs Hai opposed the building of Huay Ra Ha dyke from the very start of the project in 1977. The dam, built to provide drinking water to Na Tan district of Ubon Ratchathani, flooded her farm at Ban Non Tan.
She and other villagers had their land returned after former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra ordered the demolition of the dam in 2004. However, no compensation was paid to affected residents to rehabilitate their paddy fields.
Cabinet's approval of financial compensation did not come easily, PM's Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey said after the cabinet meeting on Sept 22.
"Some state agencies said this case would set a precedent for other affected groups [to claim compensation from the state]," Mr Sathit said. "But we don't think so because there will be no other dams that will be ordered demolished by the state."
