New deadline set for City Neon's building

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)