POST REPORTERS
The caretaker government's new declaration of a war on drugs and offers of scholarships and handouts to the poor have sparked debate that a plan is afoot for caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to return to the political leadership. The plans instantly drew flak from Mr Thaksin's opponents who said he had tricked people by pretending to go into a political hiatus in recent weeks.

Chaturon Chaisaeng, chairman of the committee overseeing the scholarship scheme for underprivileged students, said the panel would hand over an extra 400,000 scholarships this year.

The one-year grants, expected to be distributed in August, would help cushion economic hardship in the wake of rising costs of living and skyrocketing oil prices, he said.

Mr Chaturon said the scholarship scheme, an ''urgent'' policy, will be funded by sales of the two- and three-digit lottery.

''We have made a profit of 24 billion baht from lottery sales. Why wouldn't we use it to help people who are suffering increased household expenses?

''It has nothing to do with politics, the election campaign or stimulating the economy,'' said Mr Chaturon.

As the caretaker education minister and authorities gather to sort out who should be eligible candidates, Wan Muhamad Nor Matha, director of the Centre to Fight Narcotics, is gearing up for a renewed war on drugs.

The drugs war, the fifth of its kind, follows Mr Thaksin's meeting yesterday with Pol Lt-Gen Krissana Pol-anant, secretary-general of the Narcotics Control Board and Mr Wan Nor to discuss emerging drug problems.

Mr Wan Nor said drugs abuse and trafficking had increased in 20 provinces including Bangkok and major tourist provinces.

''I'll call a meeting in those provinces next week. Mr Thaksin will visit if he has time,'' he said.

Meanwhile, caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak has ordered CEO-style governors to speed up disbursement of 30-billion-baht funds to prop up the local economy.

A source at Government House said the disbursement was part of a four-point plan to sustain the economy during the caretaker administration when a limit on the implementation of economic projects was expected to affect growth.

Mr Somkid laid down guidelines to ensure the money went to people at the grassroots level.