Residents to sue mayor over land

Residents to sue mayor over land

JAKARTA (JP): Residents of the Pesanggrahan district in South
Jakarta say they will sue South Jakarta Mayor Pardjoko for
imposing land compensation payments without consulting them.

The residents are among 300 families who are affected by an
artery road project.

Hadiyanto, a spokesman for the residents of the 01
neighborhood unit, told Antara yesterday that he and his
neighbors have agreed not to accept the compensation.

He said the mayor violated a 1993 Presidential Instruction on
the mandatory need to consult residents affected by land use for
public interests.

"We will file charges against him at the Jakarta State
Administrative Court," said Hadiyanto, the head of the
Communication Forum to Secure the 1993 Presidential Instruction
no. 55, a group set up by the dissatisfied residents.

The committee of land appropriation for the artery road
project had invited residents to their meetings twice last
November, "but we were only informed, not consulted," Hadiyanto
said.

Without consulting residents, he said the mayoralty issued a
decree stating compensation would range from Rp 217,000 (US$
93.37) to Rp 275,000 per square meter, depending on the status of
land ownership.

Yesterday the land appropriation committee opened up a booth
at the Pesanggrahan subdistrict office, but no residents came,
Antara reported. (anr)