Contested The Pemprov's Excuse In A Lost Tree As A Result Of Monas Revitalization

National Monument (Diah Ayu Wardani / VOI)

JAKARTA - There is something that disturbs the thoughts of the members of Commission B DPRD DKI regarding the revitalization of the south side of the National Monument (Monas). They don't know what happened to the tree that was planted there.

The DKI Provincial Government stated that 190 trees were removed during construction and will be replanted. Not sure about the provincial government's explanation, the group of Commission B DPRD DKI conducted a surprise inspection (sidak) to the location.

Arriving at the south side of Monas, project workers seemed busy doing their work. More than 50 percent of the green open space is now covered with concrete. There were no visible traces of trees previously planted in the green open space.

Secretary of Commission B DPRD DKI Pandapotan Sinaga is looking for the person in charge of project work. The Head of Administration for the Area Management Unit (UPK) Monas Rati came to the group.

"We got information that the trees here were not cut but moved, right?" asked Pandapotan at the location, Monday, January 20.

Rati, the UPK Monas employee who was later known to have only served for a few days, did not answer very straightforwardly. "Some small trees have been moved, we will replant them later," said Rati.

Member of Commission B Gilbert Simanjuntak reiterated why his party questioned the fate of the tree which was now out of place during the revitalization.

Review of Monas revitalization project by DPRD (Diah Ayu Wardani / VOI)

"A large tree, it is impossible to replant at any time. It must be cut down. If you want to use any camouflage, you must cut it down and then plant it again ... A tree like the jacaranda is this big, it is impossible to move it without its roots. .

Rati was silent. DPRD members are again looking for a contractor for revitalization work. Later, it was discovered that this work was a 2019 fiscal year project that began last November. In fact, according to them, the 2019 budget cannot be worked out in 2020.

"There is a limit of 50 days of work from November. If it's not finished, that means stopping. This project is not multi-years. Multi-years is like building a flat," said Pandapotan.

Seeing the oddity of the Monas revitalization work, the DPRD will hold a commission meeting to follow up on the results of their inspection. For a while, the DPRD asked the revitalization project to be stopped.

"Look, please. Stop first, this is work. No 2019 budget work will be done in 2020. I ask for this to be stopped," concluded Pandapotan.

For information, the DKI Provincial Government is targeting the revitalization of Monas for three years from the start of construction or it will be completed in 2021.

Head of the Monas Management Unit, Muhamad Isa Sanuri, said that revitalization was part of the Master Plan for the Arrangement of the Medan Merdeka Area Site Plan, the result of a design competition whose winners were determined in early 2019.

"The main plan for the revitalization is to build a Plaza Field as a forum for citizen expression on each side of Monas, both in the southern, eastern and western regions, as well as the construction of a pond that reflects the image of the Monas Monument," Isa said in his statement, Monday, January 20.

Currently, the revitalization process has begun in the Plaza Selatan area of 34,841 m2. A total of 190 trees were felled and moved. Later, the land will be earmarked as a green belt.

"Of the 190 trees in the South area, we will move to the West, East area, as well as the vehicle parking area which has been in the Medan Merdeka area, or known as the former IRTI parking area," said Isa.

In addition, Plaza Selatan Monas will be designated as an open space that accommodates government activities, both central and regional.