Tegal Alur residents seek project delay

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)