Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Dith Tina urged closer cooperation between relevant ministries and institutions to ensure that the government’s policy of relocating people from the Angkor Archaeological Park to the Run Ta Ek and Peak Sneng development areas in Siem Reap province is successful.
Tina made the call on December 14 after welcoming the representative working group of the Ministry of Environment who came to present the government’s plans for the people who have voluntarily relocated from the Angkor Park to Run Ta Ek and Peak Sneng.
“I have encouraged closer and better cooperation with relevant ministries and institutions, such as the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, the environment ministry and the provincial administration, based on the capacity and ability of each ministry to participate in promoting the implementation of government policies for the benefit of the nation and the people,” he said.
According to Tina, in addition to preparing 12,000 residential plots of land and plans to build essential infrastructure to develop the area into a town, the government also plans to plant fruit trees, secondary crops and vegetable gardens on each plot to support family’s livelihoods, as well as plant ornamental trees on both sides of the roads in this area to beautify it. This work has already begun and is scheduled to be completed in the second half of 2023.
Run Ta Ek chief Chhuon Im said on December 15 that after the clearing and preparing of the residential plots and the building of infrastructure by the engineering force sent by Prime Minister Hun Sen, many plots of land have been cleared and claimed by residents.
“As of today [December 15], a total of 500 families have moved [from Angkor area], in addition to another 94 families who moved from the banks of the lake,” she said.
She said the electricity team is working and coordinating at the site and the people arriving have applied for electricity and started building some wooden houses to live in. For water supply, the villagers have drilled some small wells for temporary use until the main pipes are ready.
According to land management minister Chea Sophara, as of November 29, a total of 9,610 families have volunteered to move to Run Ta Ek in Banteay Srei district and Peak Sneng in Angkor Thom district.
