Farming agency blasted for breaking its promise

JAKARTA (JP): The Central Jakarta Mayoralty expressed disappointment on Monday over the City Agriculture Agency's failure to keep its promise to provide trees for the reforestation program in the area.

The protest was aired by Central Jakarta Mayor Andi Subur Abdullah in a statement, copies of which were made available to the press on Monday.

"In December of last year, head of the agency, Srikanti Wiwahari, promised to provide 100,000 trees for the city reforestation program, some 10,000 of which were to be planted in the Central Jakarta area," Andi said.

In a meeting at the Central Jakarta mayoralty office on Monday, the agency's head for production division, Soma Hairuddin, disclosed that the agency would provide 150 trees to the program.

Andi said he was still expecting the delivery of the trees as Srikanti promised.

He urged the agency early this March to provide the trees before the program started -- it was slated to begin the second week of this month.

"The call was made because we want to take advantage of the heavy rainfall during April and May, conditions which are believed to be good for the growth of the newly planted trees," he said.

Andi said that he and his staff mobilized residents to support the program by participating in the planting of the trees. The residents, he said, have already prepared themselves to take part in the event.

In Central Jakarta, there are at least 700 hectares of land -- which represents 15 percent of the total area -- that need to be reforested.

Andi said the trees would be distributed to all 44 subdistricts in the area. Each will receive 227 trees.

The program is part of the campaign Governor Sutiyoso initiated for a Green Jakarta.

Andi said the Central Jakarta mayoralty had declared former Kemayoran Airport, the former Lapangan Banteng bus terminal, the National Monument (Monas) park and Senayan area, as green areas.

Starfruit, guava and cashew trees will be planted in Tanah Abang district and colorful flowers will be planted in all of the mayoralty's eight districts.

Separately, Srikanti told the Jakarta Post that the agency would be ready to provide the trees as promised, but the distribution of the trees would be the responsibility of the Central Jakarta Agriculture Agency.

"We'll send the trees upon request of the agency," Srikanti said.

He urged the Central Jakarta mayoralty to take good care of the trees while they wait in limbo to be planted. (06)