Residents seek more compensation

Residents seek more compensation

JAKARTA (JP): Residents of Kotabambu Utara, West Jakarta, have
asked the City Council for more compensation for their properties
which will be demolished for a waterway project.

Eight people, representing 225 residents, took their case to
the City Council yesterday. But no councilor met them.

Residents' spokesman Nawadir Said said the delegate presented
a complaint letter to the council.

He said residents did not oppose the plan "but the
compensation money offered by the government was too low".

He said the city had offered Rp 101,550 a square meter for
permanent buildings and Rp 60,000 a square for semipermanent
buildings. Each square meter of shanties would be offered Rp
32,500.

There would be no compensation for state railway firm
Perumka's land, he said.

But the residents demanded Rp 464,000 for each square meter of
land and Rp 225,000 for each square meter of building.

Most residents have lived in the RT 004/02 neighborhood for 25
years since Perumka gave them the right to till the land. (sur)