More join family planning in Lampung

More join family planning in Lampung

BANDAR LAMPUNG, Lampung: The provincial administration of Lampung
said it expected more couples to join the state sponsored family
program this year, after almost 70 percent of 1.2 million couples
in the province joined the program last year.

The province hoped to raise the number this year to 76 percent
out of 1.3 million couples, from 69.89 percent out of 1.2 million
couples last year, said head of Lampung's family planning office
Bushori Sonhaji on Tuesday.

"It's not easy to meet the target because in practice we face
various problems especially when it comes to raising couples'
awareness of the family planning program," Bushori explained.

According to Bushori, the annual birth rate in Lampung had
fallen to 2.5 percent last year from 2.8 percent in 2000.

The use of contraceptives in Lampung also increased throughout
2002, said the family planning office's service head Paulina.

Under the government backed program, families are encouraged
to have no more than two children. With many religious leaders
agreeing to the program, the program has become widely acceptable
even among families in rural areas.

The world's fourth most populous country, Indonesia's family
planning program ranks among the most successful in the world. --
Antara

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Across-Pontianak-drugs-officials
Officials given surprise drug test
JP/ /Across

Officials given surprise drug test

PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan: Senior officials in the West
Kalimantan provincial government were given surprise drug tests
on Tuesday when they showed up for what they thought was a
regular morning meeting with the governor.

Governor Usman Ja'far, Deputy Governor Herman Kadir and 46
high-ranking officials were given urine tests as part of the
province's drive to combat narcotics.

A number of officials said they were surprised by the test,
though they noted that they had been asked to attend the morning
meeting in person.

"I was told last night that the governor would lead the
meeting himself," said Deputy Governor Herman.

He said he was aware of plans to give officials surprise drug
tests but had not been told the exact date.

The officials were greeted in the restroom by health officials
and given plastic cups which they were asked to fill.

Herman said the test was aimed at screening out drug users
from the administration. -- Antara

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Across-Cirebon-protest-earth
Students mark Earth Day
JP/5/Across

Students mark Earth Day

CIREBON, West Java: Hundreds of students marked Earth Day on
Tuesday by imposing a "no-pollution" zone along Jl. Siliwangi in
the West Java town of Cirebon, where motorists were required to
turn off their engines while the students pushed their cars down
the street.

The students also asked motorcyclists to get off their bikes
and push them through the street's no-pollution zone.

"What we are doing here may not mean much, but at least it
will remind the public of the damage industrialization has done
to the environment," said Yana, who coordinated Tuesday's event.

Calling themselves the Cirebon Nature Lovers Consortium
(KPAC), the students also picked up garbage along Jl. Kartini and
gathered in front of the city council building to deliver
speeches.

They urged the Cirebon administration to increase the number
of green areas in the city. -- Antara