Squatters asked to vacate plots
Squatters asked to vacate plots
JAKARTA (JP): Squatters along the Ciliwung riverbank in
subdistricts of Bidara Cina in East Jakarta and Kebon Baru in
South Jakarta will have to vacate their plots by mid September,
an official says.
The head of Bidara Cina subdistrict, Sudirman, said yesterday
that the deadline is set for after the residents receive
compensation.
The compensation payments are underway and will end in August.
Some 700 families living along the riverbank in the two
subdistricts have already received compensation for their
properties.
"Two weeks after receiving compensation the squatter families
must demolish their own buildings or the municipal team will tear
them down," Sudirman said. He added that only families who have
paid the 1996 property tax will receive compensation.
Sudirman did not reveal how much a squatter family receives
for each square meter of land.
Mohamad Nur, a resident who claims to occupy 139 square meters
of land in Bidara Cina, received Rp 44.5 million (US$18,960).
The residents earlier complained about the small amount of
compensation money, saying they were fourth generation residents
who inherited 12,000 square meters of riverbank in Bidara Cina.
"I will use the money to build a new house on my own land in
Bojong Gede, Bogor, West Java," Nur said.
Local authorities have suggested that the squatters
live in newly established five-story apartment buildings close to
the riverbank.
The complex consists of seven blocks with 688 apartments. It
was constructed with financial assistance from businesses and
inaugurated by President Soeharto in March.
An official of the municipal housing agency, Moh. Ma'mun, told
The Jakarta Post yesterday that residents who want to apply for
apartments should make a down payment of between Rp 2 million and
Rp 6 million, depending on which floor they want to live. The
price of an apartment is between Rp 11 million and Rp 15 million.
"The residents are charged only half of the price because the
rest is subsidized by the city administration," said Ma'mun.
He added that the city administration will build an eight-
kilometer road along the Ciliwung riverbank. The road will link
Jl. Haryono MT in the south and Manggarai in the north, when the
compensation payments are completed. (kod)