Councilors brush off disgruntled farmers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): City councilors refused to meet with a group of
\nfarmers from Kalideres, West Jakarta, yesterday, who sought help
\nto settle their land dispute with a private developer.<\/p>\n
Members of Commission A for administration refused to comment,
\nbut a representative of the 10-member group, Muhajin, was told
\nthat the councilors wanted to have a \"private session\" with the
\ndeveloper, PT Citra Garden.<\/p>\n
The farmers actually were scheduled to meet with the
\ncouncilors and Citra Garden representatives yesterday to clarify
\nthe dispute over a 7,800-square-meter piece of land in Kalideres
\nwhere the farmers live.<\/p>\n
But without a clear explanation, the meeting initially
\narranged by the councilors was canceled abruptly two days ago,
\nMuhajin said.<\/p>\n
\"I have no idea why we are being abandoned like this,\" he
\nsaid. \"We have been through hell to keep our property,\" he added.<\/p>\n
When asked by reporters to comment, head of Commission A,
\nHotma Tambunan, refused to reply.<\/p>\n
Some of his staff even banned reporters, who were usually
\nallowed to cover council meetings.<\/p>\n
The plot of land registered under land document No. C.42\/27 in
\nKalideres, owned by the farmers, is part of a 24-hectare plot to
\nbe developed by Citra Garden into a luxurious housing complex.<\/p>\n
The farmers have been living there for the past 23 years.
\nWhen they learned in 1992 that the area surrounding their land
\nwas to be converted into a housing complex, they decided to sell
\nthe land to Citra Garden.<\/p>\n
\"But we were shocked when we found out that our land was
\nbought by Citra in 1976. That's crazy. We never sold our property
\nto anyone,\" Muhajin said.<\/p>\n
The farmers suspected that the land documents had been stolen
\nby subdistrict officials who later sold the land to the
\ndevelopers.<\/p>\n
The farmers insisted that they were the legitimate owners of
\nthe land.<\/p>\n
\"We never sold our property to anyone,\" Muhajin said.<\/p>\n
\"There are only three parties who are allowed by law to keep
\nthe legal land documents. They are the owners, the subdistrict
\noffice and the National Land Agency. If we're keeping the
\noriginal documents, how come Citra has claimed that it bought the
\nland?\" Muhajin said.<\/p>\n
A representative of Citra, who asked for anonymity, said that
\nthey would try to settle the dispute fairly.<\/p>\n
\"But I can't say anything else because we're still reviewing
\nthe case,\" he said.<\/p>\n
However, he admitted that his company had bought the land from
\nanother party, not from the farmers.<\/p>\n
\"We got the land certificate from another party. So, we really
\ndidn't know there was a problem until the farmers told us,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Mujahin said the farmers just wanted to have a fair
\nsettlement.<\/p>\n
\"If they want our land, give us a fair price,\" he said. (07)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/councilors-brush-off-disgruntled-farmers-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }