Residents relocation denied

Residents relocation denied

JAKARTA (JP): An official from PD Pembangunan Sarana Jaya, in
charge of managing Penjaringan's low-cost apartments in West
Jakarta, has denied allegations that it has forced its 25 tenants
to move to unfinished flats.

The company's public relations officer, Brandjangan, told
reporters on Tuesday that the decision to move the tenants to a
new site was made because of the limited availability of rooms in
their old apartments.

"The allegations are groundless as the tenants agreed to the
decision. We could not let them stay at the old place because
it's too crowded," Brandjangan said.

He added that they were relocated to five units in a new block
adjacent to the old complex.

One resident, Gunadi, filed a complaint with the City Council
on Monday over the decision to relocate the 25 people to an
unfinished building which has yet to be provided with necessary
facilities, such as water.

These same 25 people previously filed a complaint with the
city council after their rooms were sealed up by the apartment
management, forcing them to sleep in the yard.

The decision to put them back in their apartments was made
after the City Council visit to the area.

Brandjangan said that all Penjaringan residents have the same
problem with water because of inadequate supply from the city-
owned water company, PAM Jaya.

"The regulation to only distribute water from 3 a.m. until
3.30 a.m. was implemented to save water resulting from a shortage
of supply," Brandjangan said.

He explained that this system was applied in an effort to make
the tenants use water efficiently.

Brandjangan said that there were no complaints from other
residents.

He also denied Gunadi's accusations that there are still many
illegal tenants in the apartment complex who do not have
permanent identity cards.

He explained that the basic problem is not about the identity
cards but rather because they used the names of their bosses to
get the apartments.

"Have they used the city's identity cards in order to stay at
the apartment? This is not the real cause of the problem"
Brandjangan said.(yns)