Overworked Agriculture minister wants a deputy

Overworked Agriculture minister wants a deputy

The very busy Agriculture Minister Chatchai Sarikulya  places an eviction notice at a 535-rai property in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Pak Chong district that illegally occupies Sor Por Kor land. He says he needs a deputy to share the workload.
The very busy Agriculture Minister Chatchai Sarikulya places an eviction notice at a 535-rai property in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Pak Chong district that illegally occupies Sor Por Kor land. He says he needs a deputy to share the workload.

Agriculture Minister Chatchai Sarikulya has confirmed he wants a deputy minister appointed to share the growing workload at the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.

Gen Chatchai said this when asked to comment on a report that a person would be nominated for the post of deputy agriculture minister.

The agriculture minister said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was concerned about the heavy workload at ministry.  He agreed, and had told the prime minister that he needed a deputy.

If there were to be cabinet changes, he would talk it over with the prime minister, who would have the final say.

Gen Chatchai said he was unaware of a media report that Olarn Pithak, director-general of the Agriculture Department, was a candidate for the post.

He said Mr Olarn was about to retire. He had not decided who should be his deputy because there were many candidates.  He would have to discuss the matter with Gen Prayut. The right candidate should be able to work with him and must be trusted by the prime minister, he added.

Asked whether the "right candidate" would be a retiring military officer, Gen Chatchai said only that the person should be well-versed in the field of agriculture.

Asked why the prime minister had signed an order assigning Deputy Prime Minister Prajin Juntong to take over supervision of the Agriculture Ministry from Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, who is in charge of economic affairs, Gen Chatchai said he had not been aware of it before he received the order  yesterday.

ACM Prajin is currently chief of economic affairs for the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and Gen Chatchai is his deputy.

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