Surjadi denies slum fires were deliberate acts<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Governor Surjadi Soedirdja denied yesterday an
\naccusation that a series of recent fires in city slum areas were
\ndeliberately set.<\/p>\n
He said the accusation was unfounded as it was only based on
\nrumor. "I don't think there is any provincial government which
\nintentionally wants to burden its people," he said.<\/p>\n
Surjadi made the remark in response to a question raised by a
\nsenior journalist at a meeting between the governor and Jakarta
\nMilitary Commander Maj. Gen. Sutiyoso, and representatives of
\ncity electronic and print media at the Millennium Hotel.<\/p>\n
Many fire victims, who were ordered by the city administration
\nnot to rebuild homes at fire sites soon after fires scorched
\ncertain areas, usually jumped to conclusion that the municipality
\nwas behind the fire incidents.<\/p>\n
The real situation, Surjadi said, was that city officials
\nwould ask what the municipality could do to help fire victims
\nafter a fire took place.<\/p>\n
"If fires happen to raze slums on state land, officials will
\nprohibit them from rebuilding homes at the same sites. This
\ndecision is made for the sake of their own future, as the city
\nadministration would build low-cost apartments to accommodate
\nthem," he said.<\/p>\n
The governor cited as example that when a fire took place in
\nBendungan Hilir, Central Jakarta, in September, 1994, a 10-story,
\nlow-cost apartment was immediately built there.<\/p>\n
The decision was made after it was learned that the September
\nfire was the third at the same site.<\/p>\n
"Local residents were really angry when they were told not to
\nrebuild their homes. City officials, who took a census of
\nresidents living there, were even threatened by a resident with a
\ndagger," he said.<\/p>\n
The project nearly failed as several high-ranking officials
\ndid not agree with the construction project, because the
\ngroundbreaking ceremony for the project took place just ahead of
\nan Asia-Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) forum in the city,
\nwhere many heads of state gathered, he said.<\/p>\n
"However, as soon as President Soeharto gave the green light,
\nthe project continued," he said.<\/p>\n
At the project's inauguration, the person who threatened
\nofficials with a dagger was asked to give a speech.<\/p>\n
When asked of his reaction, he was moved and cried. "He told
\nus that the condition of adjacent slums was still dirty. When
\nwill the municipality build another apartment there?" the
\nresident asked, as quoted by the governor.<\/p>\n
Touching on another complaint, related to the collection of
\nillegal levies by city officials for the processing of permits,
\nthe governor acknowledged it.<\/p>\n
"Actually we've taken some measures, including raising
\nsalaries of the civil servants in a bid to raise their welfare,"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Surjadi said that he was concerned about the condition, but
\nhe said there were many demands for basic needs in Jakarta, which
\nwere increasing.<\/p>\n
He urged the public to be patient. He also asked people not to
\nmix up illegal levies with property taxes, which vary depending
\non location. The more strategic the location of a property is,
\nthe higher the tax will be, he said. (hhr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/surjadi-denies-slum-fires-were-deliberate-acts-1447893297",
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