A proposal will be made to the prime minister next week to confiscate 2 million rai of land owned by influential people if they are unable to prove with official evidence that the land they occupied are legitimately and legally acquired.
This tough action to seize back all these illegally or improperly acquired land and distribute them to landless farmers to cultivate was raised by Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Gen Chatchai Sarikulya yesterday.
Gen Chatchai said he would propose to the prime minister to execute Section 44 of the interim constitution to seize these land back from influential people and distribute to the poor to lead their lives.
These land have been inspected by officials and were found to be illegally occupied by influential people. They are mostly in 34 provinces, including Nakhon Ratchasima, Kamphaeng Phet and Sa Kaeo provinces.
But he said inspection of large piece of land of over 500 rai a plot now held by 563 people will be completed end of this month.
Authorities will place notifications on these property requiring owners to report local authorities with official land ownership documents.
If they cannot prove their legitimate ownership with legal document, their land will be seized for redistribution to farmers, he said.
He said he would propose to the prime minister to invoke Section 44 to confiscate all these land back.
