The Agricultural Land Reform Office (Alro) will conclude its examination of whether wind energy projects comply with Sor Por Kor land lease contract requirements in the next 45 days, Agriculture and cooperatives Minister Chatchai Sarikulya says.
Gen Chatchai said Wednesday he had ordered Alro's secretary-general to conduct inspections into activities run by private companies receiving approval to lease Sor Por Kor (Alro) land in Nakhon Ratchasima and Chaiyaphum provinces.
The inspection procedures will take around 45 days to finish, he added.
He was speaking after talking with Energy Minister General Anantaporn Kanjanarat over the misuse of Sor Por Kor land.
The meeting was attended by relevant officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and the Ministry of Energy. The session was aimed at ensuring understanding among relevant officials about the issues.
The meeting concluded that 15 companies in Nakhon Ratchasima and Chaiyaphum provinces including the Thep Sathit Wind Farm run wind farms, with five of them being operational and the remainder under construction, according to Gen Chatchai.
He said he had ordered officials to conduct field inspections into wind farms in question and interview the locals about their activities.
Gen Chatchai said the inspections will focus on two aspects: to find out whether activities companies are engaged in are for agricultural purposes; and whether the activities offer direct benefits to farmers.
Earlier, the Nakhon Ratchasima Administrative Court ruled the Chaiyaphum land reform committee's decision to lease the land to Thep Sathit Wind Farm Co was unlawful and ordered it revoked.
According to the court, the land lease for the company breached the agricultural land reform law which requires that use of Sor Por Kor land for activities other than agriculture can be done only if the activities are in the interests of farmers.
The court said wind farms generate electricity, which is in the interests of the public. However, they are also a profit-making business and do not offer direct benefits to farmers.