Jakartans to get more information about city plans
Jakartans to get more information about city plans
JAKARTA (JP): Governor Surjadi Soedirdja assured ulemas (Moslem leaders) yesterday that the city administration would actively disseminate information about city planning programs to Jakartans as one means of reducing conflicts.
"I have ordered the establishment of a team in each of the city's five mayoralties, responsible for disseminating information and making public presentations about development programs," Surjadi said in a meeting between city officials and ulemas.
Surjadi was responding to the comment of one ulema about the importance of providing the public with detailed information, especially those people living in slum areas, about government plans for the construction of low-cost apartments and other modern buildings.
The governor explained that the new team would be assigned the task of informing the public about development plans down to the neighborhood level, including when and where the administration intends to build low-cost apartments.
The availability of this information is expected to help reduce the current high level of conflicts between city authorities and local residents.
The governor acknowledged that in many instances such conflicts had lead to criticism of the municipal authorities, which have been accused of intentionally burning down slum areas to make way for the construction of the low-cost apartments.
"Through public presentations we expect squatters in slum areas and on other state land to know and be ready whenever the city administration starts constructing low-cost apartments or other projects in their areas," he said.
Up to now, the city administration has been passive about informing people of its development plans. People wishing to know about municipal plans have been required to go to the City Hall or the mayoralty office by themselves.
Yesterday's meeting, attended by 125 ulemas, was designed to increase understanding between the authorities and ulemas, and to allow the pooling of information in the weeks before Ramadhan.
The meeting was also attended by representatives of the Jakarta Military Command and the City Police. The governor urged the ulemas to continue playing their role of promoting peace among Jakartans and helping the city administration to inform the people of its development plans.
Surjadi told the ulemas that the various deeds of the city administration to date, such as land appropriation, had been aimed mainly at protecting municipal property. (yns)