Slaughterhouse blackout slammed

TANGERANG (JP): The Tangerang regency office has protested to state-owned electricity company PLN about it disconnecting the power supply to a pig slaughterhouse operated by the regency in Batuceper district.

Spokesperson for the regency office, Ena Karlina, said yesterday that the protest had been addressed to the head of the local PLN branch office. PLN has denied responsibility.

"If PLN had not cut off the electricity, then the problem could have been settled amicably," Ena said.

Head of PLN's Tangerang office, Hari Suharso, earlier denied that his company had cut off the electricity at the Sawen slaughterhouse last Friday.

He said the power had been cut off by officers from the Tangerang mayoralty.

"We regret that the mayoralty did not inform us about it," Hari said.

Ena said the regency's husbandry office received a letter on Dec. 5 from the Tangerang mayoralty telling it to immediately close down the slaughterhouse.

But, she said the mayoralty officers closed down the slaughterhouse and cut off the electricity on the same day.

"We do not condemn the closing of the slaughterhouse, but it should have been done according to procedures. We would not object even if the mayoralty closed down the regency office," she said.

The slaughterhouse had been accused of dumping waste into a river used by the mayoralty's water supply company for public consumption. (41/jun)