Villas demolition plans delayed

Villas demolition plans delayed

BOGOR (JP): The local authorities here have decided to delay
their plans to demolish 32 villas located at the Gunung Mas tea
plantation of the state-owned plantation firm PTPN VIII in the
popular mountain resort of Puncak.

Spokesman for the Bogor regency administration, Helmi Gustian,
said on Thursday that the decision would be postponed until the
National Land Agency (BPN) issued its judgment over the alleged
misuse of the land.

If the BPN later decided to extend the rights on land use of
the buildings -- which would allow owners to continue offering
their villas to vacationers -- the local administration would
bury the demolition plan, Helmi said.

"We have to be careful in tearing down the villas, otherwise
the villa owners will sue us," he added.

According to Helmi, the area is actually owned by PTPN VIII,
which in 1996 proposed to the BPN that it extend its land use
rights.

"But the company never got a response regarding the proposal,
leaving the status of the land plots at the plantation unclear,"
he explained.

Because of the uncertain status, a number of residents
subsequently claimed the land and then offered the plots to
wealthy visitors who intended to build villas using fake building
permits, Helmi said.

"At least two of the 32 villas already claimed were said to
have proper building permits. When we checked the authenticity of
the permits, however, both were bogus and were not listed with
the City Spatial Agency," he added.

Helmi reminded the residents and owners of the villas that the
land at the tea plantation belonged to the state and therefore
the public had no right to own or build on the land without legal
authorization.

Thousands of people, particularly Jakartans, spend their
weekends and holidays at the Puncak area by renting hotels and
villas in the area. (21/09)