Facing Road Damage Criticism, Governor Luthfi Reallocates Rp 200 Billion for Asphalting and Concreting
Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi has reallocated Rp 200 billion from the 2026 Regional Budget (APBD) for road infrastructure repairs across the province. The reallocation was enacted through a regional head regulation (perkada).
Head of Central Java’s Public Works and Spatial Planning (PUPR) Agency, Henggar Budi Anggoro, stated on Saturday (13/6/2026) that the total sum of Rp 200 billion has been allocated to his department. The funds will be used for asphalting and concreting several damaged road sections, including the Keling-Kelet road in Jepara Regency and the Randublatung-Cepu road in Blora Regency. Residents of Randublatung recently staged a protest by planting banana trees in potholes along the Randublatung-Cepu road, an action that went viral on social media.
Henggar noted that repairs will also be carried out in other areas such as Purworejo, Sragen, and the Soloraya region. For the Randublatung-Cepu road specifically, the initial repair budget was only Rp 5.27 billion. This has now been increased by Rp 29.22 billion. Henggar explained that the original budget would have only covered approximately 500 to 700 metres of damaged road, but with the additional funds, he is optimistic that repairs can reach 2.5 kilometres. The total length of damaged road on the Randublatung-Cepu section is estimated at 2.6 kilometres.
With the reallocation via the perkada, the total road repair budget for 2026 has increased to around Rp 320 billion. Henggar said the implementation of the reallocated budget is planned for around the end of July or at the latest August 2026.
Governor Luthfi had previously announced the budget reallocation for road repair projects after facing criticism over road conditions, particularly from residents of the Randublatung area who planted banana trees in late May and early June 2026. Luthfi stated on Monday (8/6/2026) that rather than waiting for the revised budget in September, he decided to issue a perkada to shift funds for road maintenance. He added that he had decided with the deputy governor, regional secretary, and all regional apparatus organisations to create a perkada specifically for infrastructure, aiming to restore the provincial road stability rate to 94.4 per cent in 2026, matching the 2025 level.