Megawati criticizes excavation projects
Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Jakartans have become accustomed to annoying excavation projects along the city roads, either for telephone lines, water pipelines or electricity cables.
Apparently the grumbling does not only come from ordinary citizens. Even President Megawati Soekarnoputri has noticed it.
"I have raised the (excavation) issue many times with the Minister ... could there be more coordination in the excavation projects?," Megawati asked during an informal meeting with former Kalpataru Award winners at the State Palace.
The award is given to those who display excellence in preserving the natural environment.
"One can observe that they dig today, fill in the excavation on the next day, and dig again ... all at the same spot," she said.
Unfortunately, Minister of Resettlement and Regional Infrastructure Soenarno could only answer the president by saying that each project involved different contractors, who did not usually coordinate with each another.
The minister of transportation, who also supervises certain aspects of the telecommunications sector, and the minister of energy and mineral resources, who is charged with supervision of electricity projects, were not present at the meeting.
When confronted by Megawati, Soenarno was unable to give an adequate explanation, other than to blame it on conflicting projects. There was no mention about the need for pipe installation projects to be more coordinated.
"As a country with many expert human resources, we should be able to be more precise in coordinating plans and programs in all sectors," Megawati commented.
Many residents, both in the capital and the outskirts, have complained about the projects.
"The sidewalk along the road near my residential area was potholed because the contractor didn't cover it over properly after excavating it for the telephone lines. It is inconvenient for pedestrians walking along the road, as they must avoid the mud during the rainy season."
"The work took place only two months after the road had been excavated by electricity company PLN," complained Benny, a residence of Citra Raya housing complex in Tangerang.
The project has also caused at least one fatality, as a pedestrian was found dead in a telephone line excavation in Bekasi earlier this month due to the slippery road.
In the wider scope, Megawati also criticized the bureaucrats' sluggish attitude to make direct observations in their related fields, which has caused the country's development to become stagnant.
In order for the bureaucrats to gain a thorough comprehension on the issues surrounding the people, Megawati said they ought to shed their formal ceremonial ways and begin meeting regularly with the people.
"The bureaucrats are too lazy to go meet the people," Megawati said.
"I call on them to go see the situation in the field.. don't ever expect environmental problems to be solved when the bureaucrats are only conducting ceremonial meetings," she said.
She gave an example of the diminishing Indonesian forest despite large amounts of reforestation funds allocated to the Department of Forestry.
"When discussing the (reforestation projects), everyone (the bureaucrats) remains silent," she said, adding that the people, with the support of the bureaucrats, could be working together in preserving natural resources.
"We have witnessed for many years how the reforestation projects clash with mining, farming, irrigation and infrastructure projects," she added.
During the New Order era, reforestation funds were often used for other purposes for example, the Dirgantara Indonesia, which used to be called National Aircraft Industry (IPTN), and to organize the Southeast Asian Games.