Demolition of tea plantation rampant, claims PTPN official

BOGOR (JP): A caretaker of state-owned plantation company PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN VIII), Dody Haryadi, said on Friday that ransacking of plantations has been rampant since 1992 as there was no firm solution to the problem.

"We've reported the incident to the Cisarua Police, the Bogor City Police and now it's in the hands of the Bogor Regional Police. If they still fail to solve the case, then we'll bring it to the West Java Police," Dody said.

Dody said some 402 hectares of a total 2,500 hectares were looted and destroyed, causing a total of Rp 9.7 billion (US$1.38 million) in losses.

From the 402 hectares, 222 hectares were part of a tea plantation and the rest was a wooded area.

"We urged security to apprehend the culprits, whoever they might be, as soon as possible," Doddy said.

Meanwhile, an official at the Bogor Land Agency said on Thursday that a total of 1,700 hectares of a tea plantation at the Gunung Mas resort area in Puncak is a property state that cannot be sold.

"Basically, once the land use right (HGU) has expired, anyone can step in and utilize the plot. But of course the previous customers will get the first chance to maintain using the land," agency chief Sugiarto Sargo said.

He said since the Puncak area is a green belt area functioning to retain water and sustain ecological balance, the existence of tea plantations must be protected.

The tea plantation was previously run by state-owned PTPN VIII. It was reported that rampant attacks on the tea fields were committed by hired mobs who were paid by land brokers in an attempt to occupy the land.

Hundreds of hectares of tea plantations have been vandalized by hired mobs in Gunung Mas in the past month, which have totaled at least Rp 8.2 billion in losses.

Land brokers have tried to evict tea farmers and later occupy the land before selling the property to interested parties who wish to turn the plantations into villas or other buildings.

Gunung Mas houses a total of 1,700 hectares of tea plantations located in eight villages, namely Tugu Selatan, Kopo, Citeko, Cikupa, Sukamanah, Sukagalih, Sukaresti and Sukalaya.

Bogor spokesman Helmi Gustian confirmed the incident, saying that the administration has asked the police for help in arresting the alleged perpetrators.

"They pulled out the tea plants and cultivated cassava and bananas in the field," Helmi said.

"Police are investigating the case and we also asked PTPN VIII to actively secure the area," he added.

Despite officials warnings to stop looting tea plantations, a foundation -- consisting of interested parties who want to occupy the state land in which the HGU has expired -- have been distributing a land use right document to people joining the group, a source said.

Each member reportedly has to pay Rp 150,000 for a land use right document. Sources said the document holders must empty the plot to be utilized by themselves.

"They then usually pay locals to cut down the trees or plant in the chosen plot, with expenses of Rp 400,000 to Rp 500,000 per hectare," the source said.

The document holders will then process the tax papers, most often a year after they cultivated the land.

"Each tax document is worth Rp 5 million. And those who issue the tax papers are nobody else but local officials," the source, who is a university lecturer, said. (21/24/edt)