Special Report: Government’s new populist program to air on July 6

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Finalists chosen to take part in the government’s populist scheme “Roi Mua Sarng Muang” are set to present their self-initiated development projects in a television program scheduled to air on July 6. 

In early June, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra announced the initiative which encouraged residents in all provinces across the country to submit a project aimed at developing their cities and communities.

Since the aim of the drive is to engage citizens in participating in community planning and community master plans’ development, signatures of at least 100 households must be collected before the submission of the proposal. Each of the projects needed to use the budget of between 500,000 to two million baht.

Selected projects will be featured in a television show dubbed “Roi Mua Sarng Muang”, airing on Channel 9 every weekend from 8.30 PM to 9.30 PM. The first episode is scheduled to be broadcast on July 6.

Since the launch of the scheme has been announced, over 300 projects from 50 provinces have been submitted. The projects’ themes vary from the improvement of quality of life for the homeless, measures to cope with the annual haze crisis in the North to the betterment of infant healthcare. The winning proposal, judged by a working panel and the public, will receive a 2 million baht cash prize.

Members of the public interested in participating in the drive can contact the National Village and Urban Community Fund Office for more information from now until October 31.

Prime Minister Yingluck has held meetings with provincial governors and mayors in a bid to realize the community-driven projects to meet varying needs of residents across the kingdom. She stated that by involving representatives of communities and businesses into implementation processes, development programs will be adopted more effectively.

The Yingluck administration populist policies include the implementation of 300-baht minimum wage, the rice-pledging scheme, the Women’s Fund, and the first-car tax rebate scheme.