Discrepancy in slum project probed

JAKARTA (JP): Commission D of the City Council is looking into reports of irregularities in a Rp 2.6 billion (US$313,300) kampong improvement project in North Jakarta.

"We have received reports indicating several discrepancies, especially on the length of streets and sidewalks and the number of houses built," secretary of the commission dealing with developmental affairs Bimo Hastoro said on Monday.

The Third M.H Thamrin Project calls for the construction of 2,907 meters of roads, 2,289 meters of sidewalks and improvements on 126 houses in poor subdistricts in Papanggo, Warakas, Sungai Bambu, Kebon Bawang, Sunter Jaya, Lagoa and Rawa Badak.

The project's status was raised in a recent two-day meeting between the city officials and councillors in Cipayung, Bogor, to discuss details and technical implementations of Governor Sutiyoso's accountability speech.

Bimo said members of the council hoped to visit the sites to see the progress next week.

The continuation of the kampong improvement project, which aims at facilitating people living in slum areas, would largely depend on resolving the discrepancies, said Bimo, who is also deputy of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction.

Head of housing and settlement planning division at the City Housing Agency Nusmardi said he had not heard of any report of irregularities in Third M.H. Thamrin Project.

"The project had been a little slow, but we never received any report about discrepancies from the regional inspectorate office," Nusmardi said.

The project may have encountered some difficulties, particularly in appropriating land on which to build the roads and sidewalks, he said.

"But they cannot be classified as discrepancies if we can explain what happened and the conditions in the field," he said.

He said the council should bring any evidence of irregularities to his office in order to follow them up. (06)