Slaughterhouse blackout slammed

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)