Jakarta welcomes rural development program

Jakarta welcomes rural development program

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Surjadi Soedirdja says that the program to modernize rural areas will help deal with the problem of migration to the capital city.

The governor said yesterday that the program called Angga Suka Desa, which deals with the development of modern society in villages, will ultimately benefit Jakarta in the long run.

Surjadi, in his capacity as chairman of the City-Village Cooperation Board, and Minister of Population Haryono Suyono signed an agreement yesterday to implement the city-village partnership program.

The board will provide consultants to train the villagers in business, marketing and other areas.

Without explaining how the program will be implemented, Surjadi said that efforts will be made to make rural areas as attractive as big cites. "This way unskilled people will not be lured away and will prefer to stay in the villages."

The governor said that developing rural areas was the key to slow the problem of migration to Jakarta, which has been plaguing the city administration for decades.

Records

Records show that in 1995, Jakarta had more than 400,000 newcomers, while in 1994 the number was 314,000.

Governor Surjadi also said that balanced development would make villages more self reliant and reduce poverty.

The administration has been working to overcome the flow of people from rural areas, especially the unskilled.

"Jakarta is very attractive to unskilled people from rural areas, which cannot provide them with jobs," he said.

He said the unskilled residents have been creating serious problems for Jakarta, citing the growth of slum areas in prohibited areas like riverbanks.

"They are living on the riverbanks and the city administration is trying to normalize the river as part of its flood control system. This means they have to move out from the riverbanks," he said. (yns)