BANGKOK, April 28 (TNA) – More than 28,600 farmers nationwide have applied for the employment campaign of the Royal Irrigation Department, which aims to generate income for farmers during the Covid-19 crisis.
Thongplew Kongchan, the department’s director-general said that the government approved the budget of 4.4 billion baht to hire 88,838 workers for irrigation projects.
Since the application opened in March, the department has hired 28,623 farmers or about 32 per cent of the plan with the budget of 330 million baht. Most newly-hired workers or 2,255 are in Chiang Mai, followed by Suphan Buri (1,487) and Nakhon Phanom (1,481).
Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chalermchai Sri-on ordered stepping up a public relations campaign to let farmers know about the employment, which can hire more 60,000 farmers.
Laid-off workers and the unemployed, affected by the Covid-19 outbreak can also apply for the job.
The temporary employment for 3-7 months offers the daily wage of 377.85 baht or about 8,000 baht per month for irrigation works such as maintenance, canal dredging, constructions of water sources, water distribution systems, and water retention areas in preparation for the upcoming rainy season.
Labourers, who lost their jobs due to the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic and returned home in the provinces, can apply for irrigation works available in their localities by contacting the department hotline 1460. (TNA)
