BANGKOK, Feb 10 – Farmers from several provinces who have rallied at the Commerce Ministry over the weekend will petition the Justice Ministry today to charge the government with cheating by failing to pay them for the rice they sold under the rice pledging scheme.
The farmers also planned to move from the Justice Ministry to the Permanent Secretary for Defence Office to press caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to take action on the overdue payments.
Ms Yingluck, who is concurrently caretaker defence minister, has occupied the Defence headquarters as her temporary office since Government House has been seized by anti-government protesters.
Ravee Rungruang, leader of the Western Region Rice Centre, said more farmers from the eastern, central and western regions planned to enter Bangkok today.
Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, an Election Commission (EC) member, said on his Facebook page that the Commerce Ministry wanted to withdraw Bt1.2 billion from the government’s central fund as interest to rice millers who voluntarily pay farmers with rice-delivery receipts.
The Commerce Ministry said rice millers have agreed to help farmers on a friendly basis.
Normally farmers who deliver rice to millers are given receipts to be cashed at the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC).
The BAAC is, however, legally prohibited from lending to a caretaker government as it will become a financial obligation for the next government.
Mr Somchai said a Cabinet decision on spending from the central fund would be required before the EC approves following through accordingly.
The Commerce Ministry will not get any reply from the EC if it directly sends the request without seeking Cabinet approval, he said.
The EC will consider the Cabinet’s request based on the urgency of the issue and whether it will pose a financial obligation to the next government, he said.
Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister/ caretaker Commerce Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan said he is ready to explain to demonstrating farmers and find a joint solution without them having to protest at the Defence headquarters.
