Irrigation chief moved out in sudden job swap

Chalit Damrongsak yesterday was abruptly removed as chief of the Royal Irrigation Department after a Cabinet decision forced him to swap his post with that of Lertwiroj Kowattana, a deputy permanent secretary for Agriculture.

"Chalit has been promoted to a higher rank. He still oversees the department," Deputy Agriculture Minister Natthawut Saikua said while dismissing speculation that Chalit was being punished for inefficiency in handling the 2011 flood crisis.

Natthawut said he had heard the criticism of Chalit, but did not think that was reason enough for the government to move him to the Agriculture Ministry.

"His experience and expertise will still be useful to the Agriculture Ministry and the Royal Irrigation Department," he added.

YINGLUCK GRATEFUL FOR HELP

Acting government spokesperson and PM's deputy secretary-general Thitima Chaisang said Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra thanked everybody for their contribution during her recent working trip to several provinces.

"From now on, the National Water and Flood Policy Committee will have the duty to monitor relevant authorities' performance," she said.

Meanwhile, a Dhurakij Pundit poll yesterday revealed that residents in Ayutthaya's Bang Ban district were willing to let their area be used for retaining water, though many said the government's plan was unclear.

After interviewing 121 households from February 16-19, the poll found that 84.1 per cent of the respondents were willing to let their area be used for water retention, while 15.9 per cent disagreed.

Although 90.7 per cent said they knew about the government's water-management plan, 78.4 per cent of them said it was not clear.

While 25.3 per cent said they were very confident, and 29.2 per cent were moderately confident, 19.6 per cent said they were not very confident and 25.9 per cent had no confidence at all in the government's flood-control plans.

Of the respondents, 89 per cent want the government to study how using the area would affect the residents' livelihood and assets, as well as come up with a compensation sum that both can agree upon before water can be allowed to flow in.

In addition, they said more aid was needed in terms of mobile toilets (89.4 per cent), regular visits from health officials during floods (73.5 per cent) as well as regular food and water supplies (72.2 per cent).