President Joko Widodo Appoints Bukit Barisan Military Commander to Lead Coordination for Sinabung Management

President Joko Widodo Appoints Bukit Barisan Military Commander to Lead Coordination for Sinabung Management

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has signed a Presidential Regulation to coordinate the management of the victims of Mount Sinabung’s eruption, in Karo Regency, North Sumatera.

Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung explained that through the Presidential Regulation, President Widodo has appointed Military Commander RegionI/ Bukit Barisan(Pangdam I Bukit Barisan) Maj. Gen. Lodewyk Pusung to coordinate the management in the field so that the relocation issue and others can be solved by the local Government immediately.

“In the nearest time, the President will make a working visit immediately to Banjarmasin on 23 September and will be continued with a working visit to Sinabung and Riau,” Pramono Anung said to the reporters after attending a limited meeting on the management of the victim of Sinabung’s eruption, at the Presidential Office, Jakarta, on Monday (21/9) afternoon.

Relocation

Military Commander Region I/ Bukit BarisanMaj. Gen. Lodewyk Pusung confirmed that he has received a direct instruction from the President to continue the relocation of the victim of Sinabung disaster.

Pangdam explained that 370 Family Heads have been relocated as targetted. Furthermore, the second phase relocation and the following phases will be conducted.

“Basically, Military Command Region I/ Bukit Barisan and its ranks will continue the relocation with the Provincial Government of North Sumatera and the Regent of Karo,” Lodewyk noted.

Meanwhile, the Acting Governor of North Sumatera Tengku Erry Nuradi said that the last eruption of Sinabung occured on 5 September 2015 with the height of eruption and the avalanches of hot clouds were 3,500 meters and 4,000 meters respectively.

“The eruption has occured since 2010 until now. Therefore, Sinabung issue must become the national issue,” Erry stated.

The Acting Governor of North Sumatera thinks that the management of the aid is required from Local and Central Governments. He said that there are 10 villages of the total of impacted areas that are relocated; in radius of 3-5km. The Government will build houses or permanent housing in the relocation area in three phases.

First, the construction of houses for 370 Family Heads which consist of three villages have been finished. President Joko Widodo is scheduled to visit this location next Thursday (24/9).

In the second phase, there will be the construction of many houses for four villages about 1,683 Family Heads. “Therefore, the President questioned the preparedness of land in this location because the Government will not only use the land for residential building but also for agriculture,” Erry noted.

The Acting Governor Erry explained that each refugee or Family Head will receive half hectare of land. So, there are about 185 hectares for 370 Family Heads and then later the larger one for 1,608 Family Heads.

“So, out of 10 villages relocated, there are 3 villages that will enter the third phase of relocation,” Erry said.

According to him, President Widodo hopes that the construction of permanent housing can be followed up immediately by a cooperation among the local Government, Regential Government and the assistance from the Central Government. (ES/Humas) (JS/MMB/YM-Naster/Sy)