Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Sunday said he would appeal a House sub-committee decision to reject a funding request for a new Russian-made helicopter for the ministry's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM).
The sub-committee vetting the 2024 fiscal budget bill on Thursday rejected the ministry's request for 950 million baht in funds for a helicopter procurement project.
Mr Anutin, who also serves as deputy prime minister, said the DDPM needs two more helicopters and the first purchase should come from the 2024 fiscal budget. He added that these helicopters are even more important now the country has to deal with more wildfires and haze pollution than in the past.
Currently, the DDPM only has four helicopters, which are not enough to fight wildfires and haze pollution and conduct rescue operations, he said.
These operations can at times be life-threatening, especially when rescuing injured peope or wildlife from difficult terrain, according to Mr Anutin.
"Helicopters are necessary for not only wildfire suppression but also other important operations," he said.
He said he will submit his appeal against the budget cut to the main House committee vetting the budget bill, adding he has defended the helicopter procurement plan with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and other core Pheu Thai Party figures. He didn't say how those talks went.
On Thursday, Yuttapong Charasathien, a Pheu Thai MP for Maha Sarakham and deputy chair of the House sub-committee, said the sub-committee decided not to approve the budget request because of the sluggish economy.
The government needs to prioritise its economic stimulation policies, such as the 10,000-baht digital wallet scheme, as a result, he said.
More importantly, the DDPM's past procurement of four helicopters had faced questions from news agencies regarding the price, as the same model of Russian helicopter was sold to other countries for only 500 million baht, he said.
The DDPM currently doesn't have a proper hangar for the four helicopters, he added. Instead, they are parked temporarily in the army's aviation centre in Lop Buri.