Row over disputed plot at BSD goes on

Row over disputed plot at BSD goes on

TANGERANG (JP): A dispute over a 2.5-hectare plot of land at
Bumi Serpong Damai housing complex continued after the claimant
insisted on measuring the land according to his estimates rather
than relying on measurements done by the National Land Agency
(BPN).

On Friday officers of the Tangerang District Court, who were
in charge of measuring the claimant's land, also disregarded a
decision taken by the West Java High Court on Wednesday in which
it announced a postponement of the clearance of the disputed
land.

The disputed plot is claimed by the housing complex and Rusli
Wahyudi, a resident of South Jakarta.

The court decided on clearance postponement on the grounds
that there was a difference of opinion over the precise location
of the disputed land and was aimed at preventing any overlap in
clearance implementation, Abdul Kadir, deputy chairman of the
high court, said.

However, Ansori Thoyib, a clerk of the Tangerang District
Court, said that as the high court's decision was not explicit
about the postponement, land clearance would go ahead.

"We will install poles in line with instructions from court
officers in charge of the clearance," Ansori said.

Meanwhile, Arief Setyabudi Cany, head of BPN's Tangerang
office, said that BPN officers remeasuring the disputed land on
Wednesday discovered that demolition work had been undertaken at
the wrong site, leading to a clash between security guards and
officers of the Tangerang District Court on Dec. 5.

Court request

Arief said the land was remeasured at the request of the
district court, in order to verify the exact location of the
plot.

The land measuring by court officers on Thursday sparked a
heated debate with owners of 68 houses believed to have been
located on the disputed land.

"What is the use of BPN remeasuring the land, if its results
are turned down by the claimant, who later does his own
measurements based on his estimates?" the residents asked.

The residents said the court officers were inconsistent in
measuring the land as ordered by the claimant.

The court should coordinate with BPN before measuring the land
so as to prevent any unrest among the residents, they said.
(41/hhr)