Ex-cemetery to be used for farming

JAKARTA (JP): City councilors urged the municipality yesterday to use the idle land in former Blok P cemetery, South Jakarta, for farming until the nation recovers from its economic woes.

The graves were relocated last year and the site earmarked for construction of the South Jakarta mayoralty office. But the plan was put on hold due to the monetary crisis.

Members of City Council Commission E for social welfare, Agus Waluyo and Hari Sasongko, said the poor should be given permission to temporarily farm the unused 4.7-hectare plot.

"We don't know when the construction work will begin. So why not let citizens plant crops on it until the administration has the money to build?" Agus said during a visit to the site yesterday.

The proposed 2.5-hectare office complex is to have four blocks -- the tallest being 16 stories -- and the remaining 2.2 hectares of land will be turned into a city forest.

South Jakarta Mayor Pardjoko said eight graves had yet to be relocated from the cemetery.

"We'll give the families until next month to decide whether they want to relocate the graves by themselves or have them moved by the mayoralty."

Pardjoko said he would consider turning the plot into farmland as the councilors had proposed. (ind)