Post-Disaster Recovery in Agam Continues to be Accelerated
Efforts to recover from the disaster in Agam Regency continue to be accelerated with support from the central government. The visit by the Secretary of the Inspector General of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri), Bachril Bakri, along with Inspector IV, on Friday (27/3) to Agam Regency, served as an important momentum to ensure the acceleration of handling the disaster’s impacts in the area.
Agam Regent, Benni Warlis, stated that to date, the local government has addressed some of the damage, particularly to bridge infrastructure.
“A total of 24 bridges have been worked on with assistance from the TNI and Polri, both Armco and Bailey types. Although there is still much that needs to be repaired, access for the community is now starting to reconnect,” he said.
He emphasised that the need for bridge construction in Agam remains significant. From proposals through the Regional Transfer Fund (TKD) scheme, only nine bridges could be accommodated. In addition to bridges, the Agam Regency Government prioritises road repairs, irrigation, schools, and river normalisation as part of comprehensive recovery efforts.
“This all directly concerns people’s lives, so it must be the top priority,” he stressed.
The Agam Regent also expressed gratitude for the support provided by the central government, particularly in returning TKD funds amounting to Rp165 billion, which will be focused on accelerating post-disaster recovery.
“Thank you to the Ministry of Home Affairs. With the limited local budget conditions, this support is very meaningful for accelerating recovery after the disaster in Agam,” he said.
He added that the local government will soon execute the planned programmes.
“Hopefully, we can realise this at the beginning of this month,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Inspector General of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Bachril Bakri, affirmed that his side is pushing for the allocation of TKD funds to be on target to accelerate post-disaster recovery in Agam.
“We are encouraging that these TKD funds be focused on recovering areas that are not yet normal, both in terms of infrastructure and public services such as schools and community health centres. We know the damage data in Agam is quite extensive,” he revealed.
He also stressed the importance of prioritising budget use, given the limited funds available.
“This budget is not much, so it must truly be prioritised for needs that directly impact the community and require immediate repair. The goal is for community activities and public services not to be disrupted,” he explained.
According to him, oversight from the Inspectorate General of the Ministry of Home Affairs will ensure that every budget use runs according to its purpose, so that the benefits can be maximally felt by the community.