Farmers demand fair compensation

JEPARA, Central Java: Dozens of farmers protested to the regency legislative council yesterday to press their demands for higher land compensation. Their land is to be acquired for a steam-generated power plant.

The project will have to resettle about 500 farmers. PT Gunung Sewu, the company handling the land appropriation, is offering Rp 6,300 (US$2.8) for each square meter of land. The farmers demand that the rate be raised to Rp 20,000.

The farmers asked the legislative council to help them seek the higher compensation after the investor and the local administration dismissed their demand.

"The company (PT Gunung Sewu) should stop giving us trouble if it wants the project to proceed as expected," Sismoko, spokesman for the protesters, told the legislators who met them.

Council speaker Romlan Saleh promised to discuss the farmers' demand with local officials in the very near future. "We will make it a top priority in our agenda," he said. (har/pan)