Home Affairs Minister pushes for accelerated permanent housing in Pidie Jaya
Jakarta (ANTARA) — Home Affairs Minister Muhammad Tito Karnavian, in his capacity as Head of the Task Force for the Acceleration of Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in Sumatra, has affirmed his continued push to accelerate infrastructure development and the provision of permanent housing as the top priority for the recovery of disaster-affected residents in Pidie Jaya Regency.
“The permanent housing process involves local governments, and I will certainly chase up all the regents and the governor on data preparation,” Tito said in a statement in Jakarta on Sunday.
According to Tito, accelerating permanent housing construction is essential so that residents whose homes were severely damaged or destroyed can obtain certainty regarding their place of residence. He explained that the construction process involves local governments, particularly in ensuring the validity of beneficiary data.
He stressed that the accuracy and completeness of data from local governments is the determining factor in accelerating permanent housing construction.
“The key issue for permanent housing — because the regent said, ‘Please build permanent housing as quickly as possible’ — the number one factor in the speed of building permanent housing is data from the local government. Residents must be asked one by one,” he explained.
Beyond permanent housing, Tito also highlighted the acceleration of infrastructure development, particularly connecting bridges damaged by the disaster.
He revealed that he had coordinated with the Public Works Minister regarding the construction of a permanent two-lane bridge to facilitate resident mobility and logistics distribution.
The local route serves as a key access road connecting the city of Medan with Banda Aceh and is frequently used by large trucks, necessitating robust and reliable construction.
“I contacted the Public Works Minister earlier, as well as Public Works officials. The Public Works Minister told me — just half an hour ago we were in contact — that he will build a permanent bridge next to the temporary bridge that collapsed,” Tito said.
On the other hand, he acknowledged that a number of issues remain, including homes still affected by mud and approximately 1,500 hectares of rice paddies that have yet to recover. The government is also considering long-term measures including the construction of sabo dams and the reinforcement of embankments to reduce the risk of subsequent flooding.
Through cross-ministerial coordination and local government support, Tito expressed hope that the acceleration of infrastructure and permanent housing development can proceed effectively, ensuring that recovery in Aceh, particularly Pidie Jaya, is comprehensive and provides certainty for affected communities.