Govt donates Rp 500m to Medan fire victims

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

Visiting Minister of Social Affairs Bachtiar Chamsyah gave Rp 500 million on Friday to more than 400 families whose homes were lost in a recent fire that destroyed a whole city neighborhood.

The money was presented to Medan Mayor Abdillah on behalf of the fire victims, who have been living in temporary makeshift accommodation and tents at the location in Petisah Tengah subdistrict where the fire took place.

Also attending the ceremony were North Sumatra Deputy Governor Abdul Wahab Dalimunthe, Provincial Legislature Deputy Chairman Hasrul Azwar and Sofyan Nasution, chief of the local social affairs office.

Bachtiar said the money was intended for new residences for the displaced people on the land where their original homes had once stood.

"I wanted to assure the mayor that this money will reach the fire victims, and I don't want anyone to lose the aid," said the minister to the sound of applause.

Mayor Abdillah noted that the housing development project would commence after the Idul Fitri holidays, and that he would hold a special meeting with the fire victims to determine the best way it should be implemented.

"We will immediately organize a meeting with residents because the city administration has yet to know whether all are in agreement on the housing rehabilitation project," he said.

The residents who attended the meeting, however, said they were unanimous in their support of the government's plan.

Besides the central government's aid, so far, the fire victims have received Rp 169.5 million, 70 tons of rice, 9,000 boxes of noodles, 1.5 tons of palm oil, three tons of sugar along with second-hand clothes from donors and the local city administration.