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Jakarta Forestry Agency gets Rp 104 billion for expansion of public cemeteries
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An afternoon view of Jeruk Purut public cemetery on May 13. The City Council budget committee has agreed to provide the forestry agency with US$7 million for the expansion of public cemeteries. (Warta Kota/Feryanto Hadi)
T
he Jakarta City Council’s budget committee agreed on Thursday to provide the Jakarta Forestry Agency with Rp 104 billion (US$7 million) in funds for the expansion of public cemeteries and to add more cemetery facilities.
Land availability and land procurement have long been core issues surrounding many city projects, resulting in a "cemetery crisis" in the city.
The forestry agency had thus far found 22 hectares of available land that it would use to build a new cemetery in Rorotan subdistrict, Cilincing district, North Jakarta, agency head Djafar Muchlisin said.
The budget approved in the meeting on Thursday at the City Council building comprised Rp 100 billion for land procurement and Rp 4 billion for facilities and funeral procession subsidies for poor families.
Jakarta’s "cemetery crisis" is due to the fact that residents tend to flock to more strategically located cemeteries, such as Karet Bivak and Menteng Pulo in Central Jakarta and Pondok Kelapa in East Jakarta. Cemeteries on the outskirts of the city, such as Pondok Ranggon, Tegal Alur and Serengseng, have space available.
Djafar estimated that 120 residents pass away per month, leaving the city with enough burial space for about two more years.
The city previously issued a policy that states that only city residents or those who died in the city can be buried in public cemeteries. (nor)
