Mayor takes aim at buildings along banks

Mayor takes aim at buildings along banks

JAKARTA (JP): Bogor mayor H. Eddy Gunardi will summon the
Bogor water office chief in connection with the construction of a
number of illegal brick structures along the banks of the
Ciliwung and Cisadane rivers.

The summons apparently follows a report that the Bogor water
office and the Bogor public works office have issued permits for
some parties to build brick walls on the banks of the two rivers
without the approval of the mayor's office.

The illegal walls were apparently built to prevent the steep
slope of the riverbank eroding.

According to Bogor administration Spokesman M. Basit, the 1974
Law No. 5 about provincial administration has stipulated that the
mayor is the sole ruler of a township and all development
procedures need his approval.

Basit was quoted by Suara Karya daily on Saturday as saying
that the two entities have overstepped their authority by issuing
such permits without the mayor's approval.

The Bogor water office considered the mayor's statement an
exaggeration since the agency had consulted the mayor's office
through the public works office, a body which is overseen by the
mayor's office, before deciding to build the retaining walls.

"We always coordinate with the Bogor administration through
the Bogor public works office," an executive of Bogor water
office, Danny Mulyana Mustafa, said over the weekend.

Suara Karya reported that there are several brick structures
built along the banks of Cisadane, Ciliwung and Cipakancilan
rivers without official permits from the mayor's office.

Some of the illegal structures were built by owners of 16
kiosks at Muria Plaza building, which is located near the banks
of Cipakancilan river while others were built by PT Irama
Nusantara and PT Pamada Jaya close to the Ciliwung
riverbank.(mas)