Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang has scrapped four projects of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration which are considered unworthy as a New Year's gift for city people.
Speaking at the City Hall yesterday, Pol Gen Aswin said they are: the 300-million-baht Sai Mai watergate project; the 200-million-baht project to buy a crane for replacing street lights; the 100-million-baht project to buy a machine for laying pavements; and, the Metro TV project which requires an annual operating budget of 80 million baht.
Pol Gen Aswin said he had already issued orders to scrap the four projects.
According to the governor, there were signs of irregularities in some of the projects. For instance, the Sai Mai watergate project started three years ago but there was no progress. Despite that, the district had sought an additional budget. Therefore, it was considered unworthy and should be scrapped.
As for the street lights, Pol Gen Aswin said while he agreed that the lights should be in the care of the City Hall, it was questionable whether the BMA or the Metropolitan Electricity Authority should be responsible for acquiring a crane for the job.
On the road pavements, the governor said he thought the work should be done manually instead of by machines.
As for the Metro TV project, he thought it was unworthy as its programmes could not respond to city people's demands. Moreover, viewers would have a burden of buying a 1,600-baht set-top box.
Pol Gen Aswin said he would not call for a bidding for the concession of the television station, as long as he was still in the position.
Wanwilai Promluckano, a deputy city governor, said that while she was a city councillor she had proposed that the TV station should end because it required a big operating budget while few viewers.
Pol Gen Aswin, formerly deputy Bangkok governor, was promoted by the junta chief's order issued under Section 44 of the interim charter on Oct 18 this year. The order removed former governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra to pave the way for a probe into alleged irregularities in some projects.