Sutiyoso to seek info on Monas gas station

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso said yesterday that he would invite representatives of the company managing the controversial gas station located at the National Monument (Monas) park in Central Jakarta to brief him on the project's purpose.

"I will hold a meeting with the company to get a clear explanation on the existence of the gas station project," Sutiyoso said after a meeting with City Council members.

He said he would also gather information from his staff with regard to the gas station project. "I know nothing about the gas station. I just knew about it from you (reporters)," he said.

On Oct. 27, the governor is scheduled to inaugurate the gas station, which was jointly built by private firm PT Otogas Karya Pratama and the municipality.

City councilors have expressed objections over the construction of the gas station, basically because it has violated the land use laws for Monas which is a green area.

"We have never been informed about this (the gas station)," said councilor Achmad Suaidy from the United Development Party faction, yesterday.

Suaidy said the developers of the gas station actually should have consulted with the City Council before construction because of its location in the Monas area.

"Even though there is reportedly a gubernatorial instruction, has the station really possessed a legal permit to build its facility in a green area?" Suaidy asked.

He reminded the city administration about the planned Fatmawati-Monas subway. "The existence of a gas station above the planned subway is dangerous. Everything that we want to build in Monas must be integrated with future planning, so we shouldn't have crisscrossed development," he said.

Suaidy said that if the construction of the station proved to have been carried out without any permit, the administration must close it down.

"The city must be consistent in implementing its regreening program," Lukman Mokoginta, head of the Indonesian Democratic Party faction, said yesterday.

Tadjus Sobirin, head of Golkar's city office, shared Lukman's view, adding that he will order his councilors to investigate the matter.

The gas station, which cost Rp 400 million (US$109,589) to build, reportedly has been operating for four days.

Prawoto Danumihardjo, of the city's administrative and development affairs office, said earlier that the station is meant for the city's operational vehicles that have been converted to run on compressed natural gas.

"There are already 200 official vehicles which have been converted to use compressed natural gas and another 300 are expected to be modified next year. Later, the gas station will also be opened to the public," he said.

Prawoto said that the gas station had been carefully planned and would not disturb the park.

The National Monument is considered as an historical site and green area based on Presidential Decree No. 214/1959 signed by the late president Sukarno. Later it was adjusted to Presidential Decree No. 16/1961. (07)