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
;JP;bkm; ANPAa..r.. 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
;JP;bkm; ANPAa..r.. 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