Residents of the Railway Edge Want to Live in a Suitable Home After Being Visited by Prabowo, Pramono: That's the Problem from Time to Time 

JAKARTA - DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung responded to President Prabowo Subianto's visit to the railway embankment settlement area in the Senen area, Central Jakarta. The visit gave hope to residents that there would be more decent housing.

Pramono emphasized that the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government is ready to support the central government's steps in handling settlement issues along the railway line, which has been a recurring problem.

"The DKI Jakarta government will provide full support for what the central government is doing to handle housing along the railway," said Pramono at the Transjakarta Tosari Stop, Central Jakarta, Friday, March 27.

Pramono admitted that the problem of housing in unsuitable locations, including along the railway, was not new for Jakarta. Handling it, he said, has begun to be carried out gradually by the Provincial Government.

"Indeed, it has become a problem over time that the Jakarta Government has also begun to deal with. Including the community who apologize for living in TPU. In fact, the biggest thing now is living in TPU," said Pramono.

Pramono gave an example of the handling of residents who previously lived in the TPU area. They were moved to apartments that had been prepared by the local government.

According to him, the relocation pattern is considered quite effective. In addition to making the area more organized, residents are also beginning to be willing to occupy vertical housing provided by the government.

"Now it is relatively that way, first in the TPU is more neat, second they want us to move to existing terraced houses. We free for 6 months, but after that we ask them to pay or rent it completely," said Pramono.

"So the DKI Jakarta Government will fully cooperate with the central government to handle it," he added.

Previously, President Prabowo Subianto visited the residential area along the railway in Senen, Central Jakarta, Thursday, March 26.

The presence of President Prabowo, presents a new hope for residents who have long lived in the area. One of them was conveyed by Wawan, a street performer who lives in that location.

The joy came when Wawan learned that Prabowo had personally visited the residents' settlement on Thursday, March 26. He admitted that he did not expect the number one person in Indonesia to come to his place of residence.

"At first I thought it was just a regular official. It turned out to be the President who came. This is the first time that the number one person in Indonesia has come here," said Wawan.

Wawan, who works as a street musician, said he has lived in the area since he was a child. He realized that the location was not an ideal place to live, but economic constraints made him and his family survive.

According to him, the plan to build decent housing presented by the President is a great hope for him and other residents to be able to live better.

"We are very happy if a decent place to live is developed. Thank you very much," he said.

After that, Prabowo ordered the construction of decent housing for residents living along the railway in the Senen area. The instruction was delivered immediately after the visit.

The Secretary of the Cabinet (Seskab) Teddy Indra Wijaya said Prabowo immediately contacted the relevant parties to accelerate the handling of residents who have been living in a limited condition.

"President Prabowo immediately ordered the Minister of Housing by telephone because he was in Toba, the Minister of Public Works, the President Director of Perumnas and KAI, as well as several related officials to build residential houses for residents who still live on the edge of the railway," Teddy said in a written statement.