Plans for Jonggol

Jonggol, which has long been known as a major West Javanese rice granary and fruit-growing area, may soon take on a cosmopolitan character. This is because of a proposal which has been submitted to the authorities by PT Bukit Jonggol Asri. This consortium -- which was set up by the businessman Bambang Trihatmodjo together with the Kaestindo Group, which is owned by Haryadi Kumalal -- wants to develop Jonggol into a sort of self- sufficient township containing residential neighborhoods and other facilities such as a government area, tourist sites, sporting grounds, woodlands and agricultural areas.

The proposal has meanwhile raised a public debate. Those who are for it argue that the plan would help lessen overcrowding in Jakarta, with its concentration of central government offices. The opening of a new government area (in Jonggol) would reduce the clutter in Jakarta, while at the same time spreading out the development efforts towards a new and potential area.

Those who are against the plan argue that it will be no easy matter to turn Jonggol into a center of government. Turning Jonggol into a government area would dictate integrated planning involving many disciplines. This would be no simple job to accomplish and take a good deal of time, effort and money.

We hope and believe that the consortium has already thought the plan carefully through and that Jonggol's function as a water catchment area will be maintained. In developing Jonggol into a township, the aspects of the area's inherent supporting capacity, its natural function and its potential assets must not be ignored.

Only if all this is taken into account can we expect Jonggol to become an effectively functioning township, and only then can we expect the accomplishment of an integrated development effort that benefits both Jakarta as the national capital and West Java as its supporting hinterland.

-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta