Kemayoran residents seek councilors' help

Kemayoran residents seek councilors' help

JAKARTA (JP): Residents of Kebon Kosong and Gunung Sahari
Selatan subdistricts in Central Jakarta urged city councilors
yesterday to help them get fair compensation for property the
government plans to use to create an ultramodern township.

They asked the councilors to mediate in their negotiations
with the government and the developer. The residents claim that
the project management determined the level of compensation
without consulting them.

A six-member delegation representing 90 percent of the
distraught Kemayoran residents discussed their problem with City
Council members from Commission A in charge of administration
affairs.

Delegation member Ahmad Mubakir said that the Kemayoran Area
Development Board, which will develop the township, has never
approached them to negotiate the compensation rate.

The residents have rejected the land compensation rate set by
the board at between Rp 300,000 (US$133.74) and Rp 700,000 per
square meter.

He said the board also tried to put into effect a plan to
provide the residents with an equal amount of land, minus 10
percent of the area the developer will be required to use for the
construction of public facilities in Kemayoran, as a relocation
site.

"We rejected this proposal," Mubakir said.

He refused to state the precise the amount of compensation the
residents want.

Chairman of the council's Commission A Mohamad Aman said that
the councilors were willing to mediate in the negotiation between
the residents, the government and the board.

"Any dialog between the parties seeking a better solution is
always a good idea," he said. (32)