Ex-cemetery to be used for farming

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)