Khofifah transforms slum area in Mojokerto into clean and productive settlement
Surabaya (ANTARA) - East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa has transformed a slum area in Kepuhanyar Village, Mojokerto Regency, into a clean and productive settlement through the East Java Integrated Area-Scale Slum Management Programme (Permata Jatim), based on an integrated and comprehensive area development approach.
“Today we are witnessing the results of the Permata Jatim Programme in Kepuhanyar Village. This is a tangible manifestation of the East Java Provincial Government’s commitment to providing more decent, healthy and productive residential environments for the community,” Khofifah said in a statement received in Surabaya on Tuesday.
Khofifah stressed that slum area management cannot be carried out in a piecemeal fashion, but must instead employ an integrated, area-based approach.
Through Permata Jatim, area development is carried out comprehensively, encompassing improvements to basic infrastructure as well as enhancements to the quality of the residential environment.
“If the environment is clean, it will have an impact on clean hearts, clean minds and clean behaviour,” she said.
She expressed hope that the newly developed environment would be maintained collectively to foster a sense of harmony and togetherness among residents.
“I hope all residents can look after one another in keeping the surrounding environment clean. Moreover, the people of Kepuhanyar Mojokerto can apply the 3R waste management principles: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle,” she said.
With an increasingly presentable environment and adequate infrastructure, she noted, the area has the potential to become a comfortable living space whilst simultaneously driving the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and community-based businesses.
“This area development is a social investment. We want the community not only to live in a better environment, but also to have greater hopes and opportunities to improve their welfare,” she affirmed.
Going forward, the East Java Provincial Government will continue to promote collaboration between local government and village administrations with active community participation to ensure sustainable slum area management.
Mojokerto Regent M. Al Barra said the integrated slum settlement development is expected to focus not only on the physical construction of villages but also on cultivating clean living habits.
Development is directed towards improving basic infrastructure such as neighbourhood roads, drainage and sanitation, whilst simultaneously creating residential environments that are well-organised, clean, healthy, safe and supportive of residents’ social and economic activities.
“We hope that the remaining substandard housing can be addressed through support from the national budget, regional budgets and corporate social responsibility programmes from the private sector,” he said.
Head of the East Java Provincial Department of Public Housing, Residential Areas and Public Works, I Nyoman Gunadi, stated that Mojokerto Regency has become one of the pilot projects receiving slum area management support through the Permata Jatim Programme.
The area being managed covers 10.07 hectares with a total budget of Rp14.354 billion allocated for planning, implementation and supervision activities.
Through this approach, areas that previously had limitations are gradually being transformed into settlements that are better organised, safer, more comfortable and more habitable for the community.
“The management of this area is expected to support and strengthen the local potential of Kepuhanyar Village, which is known as a jamu (traditional herbal medicine) village,” he said.