Students involved in labor project

BOGOR (JP): The head of Bogor village development agency, Tasbi Hadi, has said that 12 students from the Bogor Institute of Agriculture had participated in labor intensive projects run by his office.

Tasbi said that the 12 students had been employed to give technical instruction on planting seedlings along the Ciliwung, Cisadane and Cipakancilan river banks.

"Each students is paid Rp 7,500 per day, the same wage given to the laborers," he said.

Under the project, 5,000 nangka, sempur, nam-nam and saputangan seedlings will be planted along the river banks to help prevent landslides, he said.

Tasbi said that so far over 81,000 laborers have been employed on a program of labor intensive projects launched by the Bogor administration on Jan. 15 to employ workers who had lost their jobs during the current economic crisis.

Funds devoted to the scheme have so far reached Rp 600 million, he said.

Projects undertaken have included road improvement, refuse collection, gutter and river dredging and construction of village offices, he added. (24/hhr)