Bogor residents protest over low compensation

Bogor residents protest over low compensation

BOGOR, West Java (JP): Over 100 families from the Cibentang
village in Bogor, 30 km south of Jakarta, protested Monday the
low compensation they would get for their properties which they
have to give up to make way for an electrical installation
project.

A spokesman for the families, Uwan Sutiawan, said the
villagers were not satisfied with the compensation they got from
state electricity company PT PLN.

"We are willing to quit our property only after we receive
reasonable compensation," Uwan said.

PT PLN is appropriating 91,800 square meters belonging to the
villagers to build pylons to support 500 kilovolt overhead
cables.

Uwan said the villagers had got Rp 400 million (US$170212)
compensation from PT PLN compensation for their tropical fruit
trees like durian and rambutan, which were the communities
economic pillars, Uwan said.

Uwan, who owns 30 durian trees which earn him at least Rp 7
million ($2978) a year, said the families had not yet got any
compensation for their land and houses which authorities would
soon demolish.

He said the villagers demanded at least Rp 40,000 a square
meter of land, Rp 25 million for permanent houses, Rp 12.5
million for semi-permanent houses and Rp 6.25 million for shacks.

There are 22 permanent, 41 semi-permanent and 2 shacks in the
village.

Sixty-five families own land and houses which will be affected
by the project while 37 have only land which will be affected..

Head of the West Java and greater Jakarta Electricity Network
Project Aman Subagio Rachman was unavailable for comment.

He previously said a 1992 Ministry of Mines and Energy
regulation stated the government did not have to compensate for
land and other properties where high-voltage electricity cables
passed.

Aman said in a letter to villagers they had to leave their
houses and land for their own safety.

However, lawyers at the Nusantara Legal Aid Institute, who
give legal council to the villagers, said the ministerial
regulation was not in accordance with Law No. 15 1985 on energy
plants.

"The law guarantees compensation for land and houses which are
passed by an energy plant's electricity cables. Therefore, the
regulation should be dropped," lawyer Bismo Pratonggopati said.

Bismo regretted PT PLN, which awarded the contract to PT
Bukaka, had asked the Bogor Military Command to evict the
villagers.

"The military's involvement has prompted the villagers' rage,"
he said.

"We have persuaded the villagers not to be reactive when the
military officers conducted coercive operations. I told them to
talk with the military officers, instead," Bismo said.

He said the villagers were provoked by the military's presence
last Friday when 11 villagers were injured in a clash with
soldiers. One person was seriously wounded. An institute lawyer
was also injured. (07)