Minister defends housing site decision<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Forestry Djamaludin Suryohadikusumo
\nyesterday defended his decision to allow a private sector company
\nto develop housing on 6,100 hectares of state-owned land in
\nJonggol, West Java.<\/p>\n
Djamaludin said yesterday that the land is not a water
\ncatchment site, nor is it designated as a protected forest area.<\/p>\n
He cited Presidential Decree No. 48\/1983 on Jonggol district,
\nwhich falls within the jurisdiction of the Bogor regency. The
\ndecree states that Jonggol district is not part of the Jakarta
\nwater catchment known as the Bogor-Puncak-Cianjur, or Bopunjur,
\narea.<\/p>\n
Djamaludin said the land acquired by the private developer, PT
\nBukit Jonggol Asri, is classified as limited-production forest,
\nwhere people live and where felling of trees is permissible.<\/p>\n
\"We would never allow a developer to take over protected
\nforest land, even if it were occupied by squatters,\" Djamaludin
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He was responding to news reports that the land acquired by
\nBukit Jonggol was part of Jakarta's water catchment.<\/p>\n
Djamaludin issued a letter in September, 1995 approving the
\nacquisition. In response, members of the House of Representatives
\nurged the government to reconsider the decision to allow housing
\nto be developed in the area.<\/p>\n
Djamaludin confirmed yesterday that the 6,100 hectares of land
\nacquired by Bukit Jonggol is currently owned by the Perum
\nPerhutani state-owned forestry firm, which operates in Java.<\/p>\n
The property is presently occupied and cultivated by local
\npeople.<\/p>\n
\"The people have been living on and cultivating that land for
\n33 years now... There are hardly any forests there and most of it
\nis fields and food crop plantations,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Djamaludin, who was accompanied by Director General of Forest
\nInventory and Management Sumahadi explained that as the owner of
\nthe land, Perhutani will ask the developer to provide land in
\nanother area in compensation.<\/p>\n
Regulations require that compensation be provided on the basis
\nof an equal 1:1 ratio when the land acquired is considered a
\nsettled area under dispute. This means that for every 1 square
\nmeter of land acquired, the party taking over the land must
\nprovide 1 square meter in another area.<\/p>\n
Compensation for land earmarked for public facilities is based
\non a 1:1 ratio. The only exception is when the facilities are
\ncategorized as \"strategic projects\". In this case, the ratio
\nwould be 1:2, meaning that twice as much land would be required
\nto replace the acquired land. If the acquired land is to be used
\nfor business or profit-seeking purposes, the ratio applied is at
\nleast 1:3.<\/p>\n
Djamaludin said that Bukit Jonggol has offered to replace the
\nland in Jonggol with several plots of land in Cianjur regency
\n(4,276 hectares), Tasikmalaya regency (2,300 hectares) and Ciamis
\nregency (1,458 hectares).<\/p>\n
The developer has also agreed to give the local people a
\nconsiderable sum in compensation, based on mutual agreement.<\/p>\n
He said the government will consistently keep its commitment
\nto carrying out policies which support land and water
\nconservation, particularly in the Bogor, Puncak and Cianjur
\nareas.<\/p>\n
Districts included in the that area are Ciawi, Cibinong,
\nCimanggis, Cisarua, Citeureup, Gunung Putri, Gunung Sindur,
\nKedung Halang, Parung, Sawangan and Semplak in Bogor regency;
\nCugenang and Pacet in Cianjur regency; and Ciputat in Tangerang
\nregency. (pwn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/minister-defends-housing-site-decision-1447893297",
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