BPGS plans to reclaim ex-Asian Games land
JAKARTA (JP): The Gelora Senayan Management Board (BPGS) aims to reclaim its rights to ex-Asian Games land in Rawa Bilal area, Tebet, in South Jakarta, most of which is being used for housing complexes.
"I checked the land last year and it was still empty. But now the land is occupied and I sent a letter to the National Land Agency (BPN) asking them to stop the occupation," said chairman of the Gelora Senayan Executive Directors (DPGS), Yasidi Hambali, in a press conference Thursday.
BPGS director of facilities, Mahdar, said there was a change in the usage of the land to low-cost apartments and Vila Tebet Mas real estate.
"Due to Presidential Decree number Keppres/4/1984 saying that all BPGS assets belong to the country, we must work hard to reclaim the land."
BPGS has hired lawyer Mangara Sitompul to initiate the reclaiming procedure.
"Only 4.5 hectares of the original 11 hectares, that legally belongs to BPGS, remains empty. Although some people have made spaces on the lot. We are trying to reclaim the land through legal procedures," he said.
Mangara said there were two steps in the initial procedure.
"We have sent a letter to halt the certification procedure of the mentioned area unless on the recommendation of the BPGS."
"We also will stage an on-the-spot hearing to prove BPGS ownership of the land," he said.
Some land, that was developed as a real estate complex by PT Sarana Wisesa Propertindo, has been sold for Rp 3 million (US$375) per square meter.
"As an example, a 450 square meter house was sold for Rp 1,769,040,000," Mangara said.
The land was used to accommodate house owners from Senayan, whose land was changed into the Gelora Senayan sports complex, prior to the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta.
Based on decrees made by former president Sukarno and former War Commander Abdul Haris Nasution in 1959, the land in Tebet was to compensate house owners in Senayan.
Yasidi rejected the allegation of being ignorant of the land occupation.
"We have reported the occupation to the Jakarta administration on the BPGS gray area, including the lot in Tebet and Ciledug, Tangerang which is used for housing. We are seeking a win-win solution to this problem," he said.
However, Yasidi said BPGS would legalize land used for public facilities including mosques, public health clinics and government offices.
Standard
Yasidi said that should the land be reclaimed by BPGS, it will likely be used to realize the five-year plan to meet the existing Gelora Senayan sports complex standard for the Asian Games requirements.
"We want to make Gelora Senayan a technically accredited sports complex to the Asiad standard up to 2005. We can build another indoor sports facility on the Tebet land. Should we have the building, we can provide home base for many sports organizations."
"We also can provide an athletes village on the land in preparation to host Asiad."
BPGS, which was set up by the government in 1984, owns a 279 hectare lot in Senayan that includes the House of Representatives, state-owned TVRI, Manggala Wanabhakti, the ministry of national education, Plaza Senayan and Senayan golf course and of course, the sports complex itself. (yan)