Setting up district offices for local administration is not meant to support centralised rule by the Interior Ministry, the director-general of the Department of Local Administration (DLA) says.
Director-general Suttipong Juljarern responded to criticism that district offices for local administrations duplicated the work of other agencies.
He said the main tasks of the district offices for local administration involve promoting, supporting, and cooperating with local administrative bodies, district chiefs and provincial governors in local development, personnel administration, budgeting and management.
The district offices for local administration are responsible for carrying out tasks regulated by laws and regulations in relation to the roles and functions of the DLA, Mr Suttipong said
Apart from the work of the DLA under the Interior Ministry, the offices also assist in the work of other agencies and ministries so they can work with local administrative bodies more efficiently, he said.
He denied the establishment of district offices for local administration is intended to centralise and solidify the power of the Interior Ministry.
In fact, it is a de-concentration process whereby the DLA delegates some responsibilities to lower-level units such as provincial offices for local administration and the district office of local administration to provide comprehensive support for local development, he said.
The district offices for local administration work closely with local administrative bodies and serve as a conduit passing on information to other agencies involved in addressing local needs, he said.
He insisted the establishment of district offices for local administration did not contravene the constitution which stipulates decentralisation.
