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)