Residents seek higher compensation

Residents seek higher compensation

JAKARTA (JP): Residents of Cipayung, East Jakarta sought the help of the City Council to improve conditions in compensation paid to them for a toll road project.

The five-person delegation, representing 167 families of the Setu subdistrict, was received by chairman of the Commission A in charge of administrative affairs, Tatang Solichin.

The delegation's spokesman, Indra Gunawan, said the East Jakarta mayoralty compensated their land between Rp 185,000 (US$78.7) to Rp 203,000 per square meter for the eastern outer ringroad from the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah park to the Cikunir toll road project.

He said in the neighboring Bambu Apus district, compensation was at least Rp 290,000 per square meter.

"We request at least a similar compensation to that in Bambu Apus," Indra said.

Subarjo, one of the delegation members, said the market price of the land in the area was Rp 300,000 to Rp 450,000 per square meter.

After a meeting between city officials, East Jakarta Mayor Sudarsono said the mayoralty could not increase the land compensation because the people had already agreed to the amount in a meeting last November.

"The land compensation offered to the people was already based on new land prices issued by the city revenue office under the council's agreement," Sudarsono said.

Not all people in the area have land certificates, he said.

According to new estimates released by the revenue office, land in Cipayung district ranged from Rp 82,000 to Rp 614,000 per square meter.

The list showed land prices in the Setu subdistrict range from Rp 82,000 to Rp 200,000 per square meter, while land in Bambu Apus subdistrict was priced at Rp 82,000 to Rp 394,000 per square meter. (ste)