New deadline set for City Neon's building

JAKARTA (JP): Despite Governor Sutiyoso's order for the immediate demolition of an illegal building in the eastern parking lot of Bung Karno sports stadium complex, the Central Jakarta mayoralty announced on Monday a new deadline for the demolition.

Central Jakarta deputy mayor Cholid Ismail said the demolition of the exhibition hall belonging to privately owned firm PT City Neon Prima Mandiri could be done next week.

"According to procedure, the demolition can be carried out next Tuesday after we issue three warning notices," Cholid told reporters at City Hall, while denying that the mayoralty was reluctant to pull down the building.

He said the mayoralty had sent the first warning notice to the building owner last week, advising the company to demolish the building in a week or at least by Wednesday.

He said his office would send a second warning on Wednesday if the company still had not demolished the building, giving the company a deadline of Friday.

"The last warning will be given next Monday. Next Tuesday we will forcibly demolish the building, with a notice, if we are backed by the police," Cholid said.

He claimed that his office had rejected a proposal by City Neon to delay the demolition to allow for its scheduled exhibition on regional autonomy in October.

City Development Monitoring Agency head Djumhana Tj. said over the weekend that the mayoralty officers would demolish City Neon's building on Wednesday.

Several councillors earlier criticized the administration for its reluctance to demolish the building since it was owned by a large company.

The councillors deplored the administration for demolishing another exhibition hall, located in the same complex, which is owned by PT Anggara Ind.

Sutiyoso had repeatedly said that the administration would demolish all of the buildings in the sports complex which were not used for sports activities as stipulated in a city bylaw.

But Sutiyoso's call seemed to be ineffective as his subordinates have yet to pull down City Neon's building. (jun)