The ANA’s team outside the park continued to inspect the houses. ANA
In the first nine months of this year, the Apsara National Authority (ANA) allowed more than 1,000 families in the Angkor resort area to renovate their homes and build small structures to improve their lives.
The ANA’s report said on October 12 that “For the first nine months of 2021, the five community secretariats and the ANA’s team outside the park continued to inspect the houses of 1874 families. The team allowed 1,162 families to renovate their homes and build small structures.”
Among the 1,162 families, 174 families are in Prasat Bakong district and 263 families in Angkor Thom district, 180 families in Puok district, 269 families in Siem Reap town, 244 families in Banteay Srei district and 32 families are outside the park.
Home improvements and construction of small structures included repairing or replacing roofs, walls, pillars, stairs, terraces, flooring, and building toilets, chicken coops, landfills, cowsheds, and pig pens, which are essential items for daily life.
The authority confirmed that permission was given after ANA’s community team inspected the houses and some relevant documents as a technical basis to determine how long they have live in the Angkor area. The residents were clearly identified by village and commune authorities and there was a real need to improve living conditions.
The report states that “ANA not only provides for the renovation of old houses and building small structures, but also for solving challenges, assisting distressed people, and disseminating heritage awareness to people.”
The report adds that these activities are ANA’s contribution to bring the state’s public services closer to the people and reduce costs, time and travel.
ANA established the community team to facilitate the livelihoods of people in the Angkor area, which covers 401 sqm in five districts, 21 communes and 11 villages.
ANA spokesman Long Kosal told The Post on October 12 that some families were not allowed to renovate their homes as they did not possess all the documents needed to prove they lived in the Angkor Archaeological Park, besides their request was beyond the authority of the community working group.
“When a case is beyond the working group’s authority, it is passed to another group [Department of Land and Housing Management in the Angkor Archaeological Park], which has greater authority,” he said.
According to Kosal, if people want to dismantle a house and build a new one or repair a structure, the working group does not have the authority, but must send their request to the department of land and housing management, which is responsible for reviewing any request to replace an old house.
