Irregularities in Bidaracina land compensation questioned

Irregularities in Bidaracina land compensation questioned

JAKARTA (JP): The City Council is questioning the East Jakarta
mayoralty administration over the alleged irregularities in the
payment of compensation to residents of Bidaracina whose land
will be used to make way for development of low-cost apartment
buildings.

The council's Commission A on administrative affairs posed the
question during a closed-door meeting with the mayoralty
officials at the City Council building Wednesday.

"They were not prepared to answer our questions at the
meeting, but promised to give detailed explanations to us next
week," Edi Sukiswantari Probo, a member of Commission A said.

The meeting was held as a follow up of a visit of a 13-man
delegation to the council on June 13. The delegation claimed to
represent Bidaracina residents whose land will be used to pave
way for the development of apartment buildings in Bidaracina.

Yun Bustomi, a spokesman for the delegation, said the amount
of the compensation set by the mayoralty land acquisition
committee was too low, not based on the market prices.

"The amount of the compensation was determined by the
committee unilaterally, not based on the fair market value,"
Bustomi said.

The land acquisition committee has set the amount of
compensation ranging from Rp 243,000 (US$112.65) to Rp 614,000
($284.65) per square meter.

Edi, another area resident, said 80 heads of households
refused to accept the compensation offered by the committee
because the amount was half of that given to their neighbors who
lived next door.

"We were offered only Rp 350,000 per square meter while all
our neighbors were given Rp 641,000 per square meter," Edi
said.(arf)