Houses in Menteng to make way for new roads

JAKARTA (JP): At least 181 houses in Pegangsaan subdistrict and another 63 homes in Menteng area, both in Menteng district, Central Jakarta, will be demolished by local authorities for the construction of two streets 500 meters long.

A statement issued by the Central Jakarta Mayoralty and made available to The Jakarta Post on Tuesday quoted Assistant to Central Jakarta Mayor for administration affairs, Agus Salim Utud, as saying that the compensation for the land is not yet decided.

"The matter has been discussed by the city administration, but the amount has not been agreed. I'm told that the administration is still listing the properties and calculating the values," Agus was quoted as saying in the statement.

The new roads will connect Jl. Tambak and Jl. Bonang in Pegangsaan and Jl. Menteng Tenggulun and Jl. Menteng Jaya in Menteng.

The project, scheduled to be completed sometime next year, was disclosed to local residents in a meeting with Agus on Monday evening, according to the statement.

The initial marking of the two projects will begin this week, the release stated without mentioning whether or not the people agreed with the plan.

In the meeting, Agus informed the affected residents and their families that the streets would provide more direct routes for local residents, motorists and fire engines.

The area is home to many poor families.

The planned street in Pegangsaan will be 13 meters wide, while the other one in Menteng will have a width of six meters, the statement said.

The planned project also will include extension of the existing narrow streets in the two areas.

Sagala, project manager for the Pegangsaan street, later to be called Jl. Tembus Bonang-Tambak, told residents in the Monday meeting that his group and the administration would not give any kind of compensation to the locals over their remaining tiny plots of land which could no longer be used, the statement said. (06)