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Dozens of land certificates reportedly issued for plots in protected Lombok forest
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Two women carry grass for cattle in Parangbatu village, Tuban, East Java, on Oct. 3. Residents in the village depend on forests for their livelihoods. (Antara/Aguk Sudarmojo)
T
he West Nusa Tenggara forestry agency says it has discovered that at least 34 land ownership certificates have been issued by the local land agency (BPN) for plots inside the protected Sekaroh forest in Jerowaru, East Lombok.
"We have sent a letter to the BPN to revoke the certificates that refer to plots of land inside the protected forest,” the West Nusa Tenggara forestry agency head Husnanindiaty Nurdin said on Wednesday.
According to Husnanindiaty, the Sekaroh forest is regulated under Forestry Ministry Decree No. 8214/Kpts-II/2002, which prohibits any private party from owning land in the 2,834-hectare forest.
“We have also escalated the issue to the Forestry Ministry,” she said.
Meanwhile, West Nusa Tenggara BPN land ownership unit head Imam Sunaryo claimed the plots of land specified in the concerned certificates were located outside the protected forest.
"We wouldn’t have issued land ownership certificates if the plots of land were inside the protected forest,” he said. (dmr)
