Lumajang Legislature Uncovers Land Area Discrepancies in PT Kalijeruk Plantation Investigation
The Lumajang Regency Legislature (DPRD) has uncovered a series of suspected violations in its investigation into community complaints against PT Kalijeruk, a plantation company operating in Kalipenggung Village, Randuagung District, Lumajang.
Following a hearing held on Friday (23 May 2024) at the DPRD Lumajang office involving several local government agencies, DPRD Chairwoman Hj. Oktaviani discovered significant discrepancies between the actual land area used by the company and the data registered with the Lumajang Licensing Agency.
"At the DPMPTSP [Investment and One-Stop Integrated Services Agency], the land area registered in the OSS [Online Single Submission] system for notification to the local government is only 9.6 hectares. Yet according to the National Land Agency report, the actual area spans hundreds of hectares," said Oktaviani, shaking her head.
She suggested that the company was concealing information and vowed to follow up on behalf of local residents. "This alone shows a clear discrepancy. Something is being hidden. It doesn't make sense," she added.
PT Kalijeruk was invited to the hearing but failed to attend. Oktaviani said that during the meeting she received a letter from the company indicating it would attend on 2 June 2025.
Several data irregularities were revealed during the hearing. PT Kalijeruk had also reportedly failed to submit mandatory annual reports to the land office as part of its work planning obligations. Further indications emerged that the company's permits described the plantation land as vacant, which was not the case.
Oktaviani confirmed she would visit the relevant ministry in the near future to verify the reported irregularities.
Local residents have threatened to blockade roads if the company continues to evade accountability. The plantation land, originally cultivated with coffee, cocoa and rubber, has been converted to sugarcane cultivation, displacing local communities who no longer benefit from the land surrounding their homes.
Mass deforestation by the company has also provoked public anger, with residents expressing fears of landslides and flooding. Villagers reported that several natural water springs across hamlets in Kalipenggung Village, where PT Kalijeruk is based, have gradually dried up.
Local resident Faisol confirmed that flooding had already occurred during the recent fasting month, damaging agricultural land. The Environmental Agency (DLH) issued a recommendation to halt the deforestation, but the company reportedly ignored it.
Following a hearing held on Friday (23 May 2024) at the DPRD Lumajang office involving several local government agencies, DPRD Chairwoman Hj. Oktaviani discovered significant discrepancies between the actual land area used by the company and the data registered with the Lumajang Licensing Agency.
"At the DPMPTSP [Investment and One-Stop Integrated Services Agency], the land area registered in the OSS [Online Single Submission] system for notification to the local government is only 9.6 hectares. Yet according to the National Land Agency report, the actual area spans hundreds of hectares," said Oktaviani, shaking her head.
She suggested that the company was concealing information and vowed to follow up on behalf of local residents. "This alone shows a clear discrepancy. Something is being hidden. It doesn't make sense," she added.
PT Kalijeruk was invited to the hearing but failed to attend. Oktaviani said that during the meeting she received a letter from the company indicating it would attend on 2 June 2025.
Several data irregularities were revealed during the hearing. PT Kalijeruk had also reportedly failed to submit mandatory annual reports to the land office as part of its work planning obligations. Further indications emerged that the company's permits described the plantation land as vacant, which was not the case.
Oktaviani confirmed she would visit the relevant ministry in the near future to verify the reported irregularities.
Local residents have threatened to blockade roads if the company continues to evade accountability. The plantation land, originally cultivated with coffee, cocoa and rubber, has been converted to sugarcane cultivation, displacing local communities who no longer benefit from the land surrounding their homes.
Mass deforestation by the company has also provoked public anger, with residents expressing fears of landslides and flooding. Villagers reported that several natural water springs across hamlets in Kalipenggung Village, where PT Kalijeruk is based, have gradually dried up.
Local resident Faisol confirmed that flooding had already occurred during the recent fasting month, damaging agricultural land. The Environmental Agency (DLH) issued a recommendation to halt the deforestation, but the company reportedly ignored it.