Flood-hit subdistricts to receive Rp 50m each<\/p>\n
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The city administration announced on Monday its plan to
\ndisburse Rp 50 million for each of the 167 flood-hit subdistricts
\nacross the city, regardless of the level of damage in each
\nsubdistrict.<\/p>\n
"Our subdistrict, which has 10 neighborhood units that have
\nbeen hit by the floods, should receive more than other
\nsubdistricts," chief of Mampang Prapatan subdistrict Sutarno said
\nin a meeting with Governor Sutiyoso.<\/p>\n
Instead of explaining why each subdistrict will receive the
\nsame amount, Sutiyoso said the aid would be disbursed soon.<\/p>\n
"The aid will be disbursed tomorrow. I hope that it will help
\nflood victims," he said.<\/p>\n
The meeting was attended by chiefs of all 265 subdistricts,
\nand 45 districts in the capital.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso said the aid would be managed by subdistrict councils
\n(Dekel) to avoid any suspicion of corruption by subdistrict
\nchiefs.<\/p>\n
He said it would be up to the Dekel on how to use the Rp 50
\nmillion, whether it would be used to rehabilitate houses or
\nschool buildings.<\/p>\n
The money would be taken from the Rp 40 billion reserve fund
\nin the 2002 City Budget.<\/p>\n
The decision to give the Dekel the authority to manage the Rp
\n50 million aid could create problems as many doubt the integrity
\nof Dekel members.<\/p>\n
Most members, who were elected in a local election last year
\nas representatives of neighborhood units, are unemployed
\npolitical party members. They receive a monthly salary of Rp
\n500,000.<\/p>\n
It remains unclear as to who is responsible should there be
\nany misuse of the aid.<\/p>\n
The administration, however, denied that it was a shift of
\nresponsibility from the subdistrict chiefs to the "public" or the
\nDekel members.<\/p>\n
"It's not a shift of responsibility. The subdistrict chiefs
\nshould be responsible and monitor the use of the aid," the
\nfinancial assistant to the city secretary, Makmun Amin, said,
\nafter the meeting.<\/p>\n
Monday's meeting seemed to be "engineered" by the
\nadministration to gain support for Sutiyoso, who has received
\nmounting demands for his resignation due to his failure to
\ncontrol the flooding.<\/p>\n
In the meeting, Pasar Minggu district chief Usman said that
\nchiefs of subdistricts and districts across the city should also
\nresign if Sutiyoso is forced to resign.<\/p>\n
Some of the attendants applauded but some disagreed.<\/p>\n
"I'll have to think twice if I resign. Don't be too
\nemotional," a subdistrict chief from South Jakarta said.<\/p>\n
Some subdistrict chiefs also reported that their areas were
\nstill flooded on Monday. They included Rawa Buaya in West
\nJakarta, Cawang in East Jakarta and Bukit Duri in South Jakarta.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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