Residents of more than 15,000 villages - out of a total of 70,000 nationwide - have received visits from the government's Thai Niyom Yangyuen teams since the government programme was launched last week. The government says the programme aims to gauge villagers' needs for local development, while critics have dismissed it as a propaganda campaign.
Interior Minister Gen Anupong Paojinda said on Tuesday that teams of officials have been sent to seek views from local residents. So far, they have visited 15,000 villages out of 70,000 across the country. An average of 120 people per village attended a meeting with officials and gave their views, said Gen Anupong.
The teams would create better understanding of local development, democracy and the sufficiency economy philosophy, he said. After gathering information for about one month, authorities would meet to analyse how locals perceived their needs, he said.
Under the first phase of the Thai Niyom Yangyuen development scheme, loosely translated as "sustainable Thai-style development", the government said it had sent some 7,800 teams around the country since last Wednesday. The programme is said to be financed by a budget of around 100 billion baht.
According to the government, the first phase involves gathering information in 70,000 villages, analysing vilagers' problems and working out how to meet their needs.
The second phase deals with creating public awareness and securing the commitment of related parties to see development projects through.
The third and fourth phases, to be implemented between April and the end of May will focus on public participation in various projects, along with "attitude adjustment".
