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)