600 houses to be demolished

TANGERANG, West Java (JP): Local authorities will today pull down 639 houses located on state land in Dadap village, Kosambi District, an official here said Saturday.

Ujang Rukana, head of public order office at the Tangerang regency, told reporters that the demolition would be the last resort for authorities. "The building owners have ignored the regent's letters asking them to carry out the demolitions by themselves. The last demolition order issued on May 4 clearly stated that the deadline for the residents was May 19. Still they were heedless," Ujang said.

Many of the houses have been used as illicit low-class prostitution dens.

He said the authorities will not pull down any buildings which have permits, citing 65 structures, including worship places and elementary school buildings.

The plot of land, which stretches along the Perancis river, belongs to the state-owned Perum Angkasa Pura and Ministry of Public Works.

"The land will be used as a green belt. Perum Angkasa Pura has given the house owners compensation money," Ujang said.

The building owners said the amount of compensation varied, depending on the status of their buildings. Owners of permanent buildings got Rp 250,000 for each square meter of the building. The lowest compensation, Rp 150,000 per square meter, was for temporary makeshift buildings.

"We'd rather be moved to another area. The compensation money was too small. We'll seek legal help from the House of Representatives if the Tangerang legislative council fails to defend us," an owner of a permanent house told The Jakarta Post. (18/sur)