Tangerang to build haj dormitory near year

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

The Tangerang municipal administration plans to build a haj dormitory on 14 hectares of land in Belendung subdistrict, Batu Ceper district, next year, less than one kilometer from the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

"We picked the location to make it easy for the haj pilgrims to reach the airport. Currently, they have to go back and forth between Tangerang and Jakarta's haj dormitory in Pondok Gede, East Jakarta, which may take two hours for one trip," Tangerang mayor Wahidin Halim said on Monday.

He said if the construction of the haj dormitory could be completed late in 2006, Tangerang residents could save money and time since they would have to pay less for transportation and could avoid a 30-kilometer journey from Tangerang to Pondok Gede starting 2007.

"Besides, the new haj dormitory would also benefit local residents who can start businesses selling the pilgrims' daily necessities," he added.

Wahidin explained that the construction of the haj dormitory for the municipality had nothing to do with the planned construction of the Banten provincial haj dormitory in Curug district, which had been long postponed.

The provincial project was given to the Tangerang regency administration.

"It's not that we're competing ... the municipality made the project plan in 2000," Wahidin said, adding that the fund would be taken from the next year's budget as 49 percent of the 2005 budget had been allocated to build and renovate 221 schools.

The Tangerang regency administration had also planned to build a haj dormitory to accommodate all Banten provincial haj pilgrims. The planned location is on 12 hectares of land in Curug that currently belongs to property developer Lippo Karawaci.

The regental officials said that the developer would donate the property to the administration.

Although there were reports of an approval given by the Ministry of Religious Affairs who had also disbursed money for the construction, the Tangerang regency had yet to start the project.