Debate heats up over fire helicoptersInterior Minister Anupong Paojinda defends the 1.8-billion-baht procurement of two helicopters by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation for use in combating bush-fires during the first reading of the 2021 Budget Bill. (Photo by Chanat Katanyu)Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda on Friday defended the Interior Ministry's plan to purchase six wildfire-fighting helicopters, saying the ministry did not have any such helicopters and always had to rely on military choppers that weren't up to the task. Gen Anupong was responding to an objection to the ministry's helicopter purchase plan raised by the opposition during yesterday's House debate on the fiscal year 2021 budget bill. The ministry needed up to six wildfire-fighting helicopters because they had to be used in rotation to allow regular maintenance, he added. The Pheu Thai Party MP for Chiang Rai, Wisarn Techatheerawat, said the ministry's plan to purchase two helicopters for fighting wildfires this year at a cost of 1.8 billion baht wasn't worth it as the country already had more than 300 helicopters.

Source: Bangkok Post July 03, 2020 23:15 UTC