Tegal Alur residents seek project delay

JAKARTA (JP): A delegation of 59 residents from Tegal Alur subdistrict in West Jakarta demanded yesterday that the City Council postpone part of its river normalization program which would require them to give up their homes.

Speaking on behalf of the deputation, Ras'an and Sujianto asked the city administration to delay the project so that they could concentrate solely upon earning a living and surmounting hardships brought about by the economic crisis.

Claiming most affected residents did not have enough money to move house, the two representatives filed the request through City Council Commission A for administration, security and public order affairs.

"We fully understand the administration's intent to improve the Kamal/Semonggol riverbanks through the normalization program, but we did not expect that it would be implemented immediately.

"We ask the administration to postpone the plans by at least one year, so we have time to save money to enable us to move to other areas," Sujianto said.

Ras'an said that West Jakarta mayoralty officers first briefed residents about the normalization plan in February.

"Before giving further details the mayoralty sent us a notification letter last month stating that the plan will be implemented shortly", he added.

He said residents had been ordered to leave the area in exchange for Rp 250,000 (US$29) per family in compensation.

"We were given until today (yesterday) to move," Ras'an said.

The letter states that if residents do not accept the compensation on offer their homes may be demolished.

Sujianto explained that residents realized the area they lived in did not legally belong to them. However, "most of us have lived there for years, that's why we ask the administration to give us time and, if possible, greater compensation", he added.

The head of Commission A, Hotma Tambunan, said he had contacted Samsudin, the head of Tegal Alur subdistrict, to explain the residents' difficulties.

Hotma said Samsudin would further study the situation.

However, he said their request for more compensation would be difficult to grant because they were illegally occupying the land.

"In the past, illegal squatters received only Rp 50,000 in compensation if they were evicted. What they will get now is far higher," he said. (ind)