Central Java Provincial Road Repair Budget Slashed Drastically, Blora's Damaged Roads Remain Neglected
The Head of the Public Works and Spatial Planning Agency (PUPR) of Central Java Province, Henggar Budi Anggoro, stated that the budget for the maintenance and repair of provincial roads in Central Java has decreased drastically this year. This has resulted in suboptimal road repair efforts across the region.
Henggar’s statement follows protests by residents in Randublatung District, Blora Regency, regarding the dilapidated condition of the Randublatung-Cepu road on Sunday (31/5/2026). During the protest, residents planted banana trees in potholes scattered across various points along the route.
Henggar admitted to monitoring the protest in Randublatung last Sunday and expressed respect for the residents’ actions. He noted that his agency will soon initiate a tender process for repairs on that specific road section.
However, Henggar acknowledged that the budget for road maintenance and repair under the Central Java Provincial Government has shrunk significantly this year. “Overall, the budget allocation from the Central Java Provincial Government for handling these road sections is approximately Rp320 billion,” he said during an interview on Monday (1/6/2026).
This budget must be distributed across all provincial roads in Central Java, which total 2,440.12 kilometres. He revealed that compared to last year, the budget for provincial road maintenance in Central Java has plummeted, whereas in 2025, the budget approached Rp1 trillion.
“One reason is that, on one hand, the transfer funds to the region have also decreased sharply. There is approximately Rp1.5 trillion allocated for the Central Java Provincial Government,” Henggar explained.
He noted that budget constraints are hindering the provincial government’s ability to optimise the maintenance and repair of provincial roads. “Because our allocation has decreased so significantly, we ultimately cannot do much,” he said.
Responding to the residents’ protest, Henggar stated that he has discussed the repairs for the Randublatung-Cepu road with the Governor of Central Java, Ahmad Luthfi, as the route falls under the provincial government’s responsibility.
Henggar stated that the Central Java Provincial Government has allocated Rp5.2 billion for the Randublatung-Cepu road repairs. The road spans 7.5 kilometres, but 2.6 kilometres of it are severely damaged. He admitted that the allocated budget would not be sufficient to repair all the damage on the Randublatung-Cepu road at once. “We will have to calculate it. It is possible that the allocated budget can only cover 500, 600, or 700 metres. We will look into the calculations,” said Henggar.
Henggar added that the tender process for the Randublatung-Cepu road repair project will be conducted soon. “Since we have allocated the budget, we now only need to take steps to accelerate the handling process. Hopefully, it can be completed quickly as planned,” he said.
He mentioned that the Randublatung-Cepu road is one of the provincial road sections prioritised for repair. He also admitted that the road has not been repaired for quite some time. “It has actually been a long time. The last work done last year was merely a connection. This is a continuation of the work that was inaugurated by the Governor in 2025,” concluded Henggar.