Bangkok: "Pharadon" has revealed that while the Cabinet has approved the budget for disaster relief, the Election Commission has blocked it.

According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Paradorn Prisnanantakul, Minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office, discussed the situation regarding the flood relief payment of 9,000 baht per household. The Cabinet has approved this payment approximately 2-3 times, totaling over 20 billion baht. However, as more surveys and registrations have been conducted, the need for further funds has arisen.

He explained that a tiered payment system for the central, lower northern, and southern regions was recently approved by the Cabinet. However, due to the dissolution of parliament, the use of the central budget now requires permission from the Election Commission (EC). Last week, the EC reviewed the request but did not approve it, instructing that the request be revised without providing a specific reason.

Mr. Paradorn pointed out that the Cabinet had previously prioritized and addressed flood relief efforts before the dissolution of Parliament. As further surveys revealed the previously approved budget was insufficient, an additional 2 billion baht is now necessary. The Budget Bureau is prepared to disburse the funds, pending approval from the Election Commission.

At today's Cabinet meeting, the EC's decision will be communicated, and the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation will be instructed to submit a new budget request. The Cabinet will emphasize to the EC that the request is not for a new project, but for funds related to previous compensation efforts. The Cabinet is expected to pass a resolution to send the matter to the EC again, with hopes that the EC will meet and provide a response within the next week.