Residents of housing complexes in Rengas subdistrict in South Tangerang municipality demanded Friday that acting mayor MH Shaleh to resign for his failure to stop the reclamation of nearby Situ Rawa Kayu Antap Lake for a luxury housing estate.
Baharudin Nasution, chairman of Situ Rawa Kayu Antap Forum (SRKAF), said Friday the residents sought Shaleh’s ouster as he had ignored their reprimands.
Residents said the acting mayor had not seriously tried to stop the developer of the housing estate from reclaiming the small lake.
“Until today the administration has done nothing to stop the reclamation work, which goes on day and night,” Baharudin said.
Baharudin said he came to deliver the resident’s aspiration to Shaleh at his office on Wednesday, but to no avail.
“Should the mayor fail to directly observe and halt the ongoing reclamation work within three days, residents will stage a protest at his office soon.”
In a bid to maintain the lake’s function as a water catchment area, SRKAF has filed complaints to Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiah, the provincial prosecutor’s office, the land agency and the zoning and spatial layout agency, but has yet to receive a response.
The housing estate developer PT Hana Kreasi Persada claimed the reclamation was conducted in accordance with the legal procedures and regulations.
Company spokesman Tonison Ginting said the reclamation, which will expand the housing complex, followed deep analyses and research.
“We obtained legal documents that describe the location of the land in 1974 and the document legally states that the land does not belong to the state,” Ginting said.
The Tangerang Regecy’s public order officers, protected by South Jakarta police and military troops, evicted dozens of families from the lake bank in April last year. Ginting claimed the company had given Rp 30 million to each of the evicted families after they signed an agreement and confirmed their willingness to demolish their houses.
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