Pamekasan Regency Government Denies Oil And Gas Drilling Conglomerate Company Arifin Panigoro Damages Local Fishermen

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Regency Government of Pamekasan, East Java has denied that oil and gas drilling on the coast of Tanjung Village, Pademawu District by Medco Energy Sampang Cooperation Contract Contractors (KKS-WK) will harm fishing communities in the area.

"That's not true. In fact, the people will benefit from oil and gas exploration in Pamekasan", said the Head of the Pamekasan Muarram Regency Government's Environment Agency in Pamekasan, Monday, April 26, clarifying the protests of some residents who said that The oil and gas drilling in Tanjung Village, Pademawu District, Pamekasan will harm the local fishing community.

In fact, continued Muharram, if the oil and gas content on the coast of Tanjung Village, Pademawu District, Pamekasan is drilled, and the oil and gas content is sufficient, the local community will be more prosperous.

"This is because the people around the exploration location, especially fishermen, will receive assistance in the form of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) from companies that manage oil and gas", he said.

Also, continued Muharram, oil and gas exploration waste will not be disposed of in the vicinity of the drilling location, but a special place for waste disposal has been provided.

"And this is a prerequisite for the issuance of an Amdal permit. So, there must be a place for the disposal of the waste and the oil and gas waste must be sure that it does not endanger the surrounding community", he said, quoted from Antara.

Apart from being economically beneficial for the surrounding residents, oil and gas drilling in Tanjung Village, Pademawu District, Pamekasan will also benefit the Pamekasan community as a whole, because the district government will receive oil and gas revenue sharing so that Pamekasan's local revenue will also increase.

Muharram gave an example of the implementation of oil and gas exploration that benefits communities such as in Sampang Regency and island communities in Sumenep Regency, Madura Island, East Java.

The fishing communities in the area, he continued, can still catch fish well, even the company provides special assistance for fishermen's families in the form of empowerment programs and community economic improvements in the area.

"So, once again it is not true that oil and gas drilling is detrimental to the surrounding community. The community can actually benefit from this oil and gas drilling", he said.

Previously, a group of people in Tanjung Village, Pademawu District, Pamekasan stated that they rejected the oil and gas drilling plan.

The group that rejects this is supported by some non-governmental organization activists and they argue that the rejection of oil and gas drilling is for the future of traditional fishermen in Pamekasan.

The initial refusal action was carried out by about five to six people by posting pamphlets on one of the fishing boats belonging to residents on the coast of Tanjung Village, Pademawu District, and continued by putting up billboards that read "Refusing Oil and Gas Drilling" which was claimed to be the community post for rejecting oil and gas drilling.

The action to reject oil and gas drilling is not the voice of all the people of Tanjung Village, because some others have stated that they accept it because there must be security and welfare guarantees for the surrounding community.

The residents who accept the oil and gas drilling in their village understand that this is by the provisions of the Indonesian state as stipulated in the 1945 Constitution that all forms of natural wealth, in the form of oil and gas water, are controlled by the state and for the benefit of the people as much as possible.