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)