Battle over land management continues

Battle over land management continues

BATAM, Riau: A disagreement between the municipal administration and the Batam Industrial Development Authority (BIDA) over who has the right to control the island's land affairs has continued following the implementation of regional autonomy.

The municipal administration is claiming full authority over the land's management in line with the 1999 Regional Autonomy Law, while BIDA is defending its right to govern under Law No. 53/1999 and Presidential Decree No. 41/1973.

Achmad Dahlan, the lawyer for BIDA, said that the land management issue was one of thousands of BIDA's jurisdictions that the municipal administration wanted to take over.

Fatullah, a spokesman for the local administration, said his office had not gone to the table yet to find a way to solve the disagreement.

"According to the law, both sides should sit down and discuss the issue to find an answer to the key problem," he said, adding that the central government should issue a regulation that requires both sides to manage the land, especially in industrial zones. --JP