Ulemas to study peat land project

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: The provincial administration recently dispatched six respected Moslem leaders to the site of the massive agricultural project in West Kalimantan.

The ulemas will inspect conditions at the government's 1.3 million-hectare of peat moss land project, and are expected to return with enough evidence to convince their congregations back home to resettle in West Kalimantan, according to H.L. Azhar Mudjijo, the head of the provincial office of the Ministry of Transmigration.

Senior officials of the provincial administration gave the ulemas, usually called Tuan Guru (Master), a send off in a ceremony Monday, Antara reported yesterday.

The one million hectares of peat moss, in Kapuas regency, is being converted into agricultural and resettlement sites to compensate for the development of housing and industrial areas and highways in former agricultural areas in Java over the past 10 years.

Converting the areas of peat moss into agricultural land costs Rp 5 trillion (US$ 2.1 billion).

The project, reportedly the most expensive development program, is being undertaken because of apprehensions about rising food demands.

The government hopes to resettle 316 000 farming families to the area within the next six years; West Nusa Tenggara is expected to send five percent of the resettlers.

For the current 1997/1998 fiscal year, some 500 people will be resettled, Mudjijo said, adding that more people have expressed interest in going.

State Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmaja said in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, the projected world food shortage needed to be seriously addressed. (13)