Severely Damaged Until Planted With Bananas, Central Kalimantan Governor Asks Center To Repair National Roads At Banteng Base

National road conditions in Karang Mulya Village, Pangkalan Banteng District, West Kotawaringin Regency are planted with residents with trees/ANTARA

PALANGKA RAYA - Central Kalimantan Governor Sugianto Sabran asked the Central Government to pay attention to the aspirations of local people. One of them is repairing the national road which was badly damaged at Banteng Base, West Kotawaringin Regency. "Jalan A. Yani at Pangkalan Banteng is a connecting road between districts, especially the western region and is the authority of the central government because its status is a national road," said Sugianto Sabran in a statement received in Palangka Raya, quoted from Antara, Sunday, July 30. Sugianto asked the Central's attention through the National Road Implementation Center in Central Kalimantan, to deal with this problem immediately, because it involves the lives of many people. "The Central Government should look at the portrait of the Republic of Indonesia by paying attention to infrastructure in the regions with the principle of equitable justice," he said. The 1,200-meter-long national road axis in Karang Mulya Village, Pangkalan Banteng District is planted with residents with banana and palm trees. The action was a form of protest against the condition of the national road which was badly damaged, thus hampering community activities, both in terms of transportation traffic, community economic activities, and health problems. Because the national road was badly damaged and caused dust pollution. The condition of the road has been going on for the last five months and has not been handled by the Central Government, namely through the Central Kalimantan National Road Implementation Center (BPJN) on the grounds of a budget shortage. One of the residents of the Mashuri traders admitted that since the condition of the road was damaged, local residents along the A. Yani road who relied on living with a trading business have been disrupted, and income turnover has decreased drastically. "“Income dropped drastically, because many residents were reluctant to shop, especially residents who opened food stall businesses, dust almost all the time," he explained. Meanwhile, the head of RT 23 in Karang Mulya Village, Sripan also highlighted the damaged road conditions that were considered dangerous for local residents. "Almost every day there are single accident residents due to potholes," he said. Even the information, on Tuesday (1/8) the residents agreed to convey their aspirations to the local sub-district office demanding that the Central Government immediately respond to public complaints to immediately handle the national road. In response to this, the Central Kalimantan National Road Implementation Center through PPK 1.2 Natanael has taken short-term steps in the form of regular road watering, and hoarding several very crucial points. "“We have proposed additional budget to the Center, the work of these two segments is 400 meters and 800 meters, reinforced by the proposal of the Acting Regent of West Kotawaringin. Currently, the center is conducting a careful calculation for the handling of this road, hopefully this year it will be completed,” he said.

He also hopes that the public can be patient, because the government is trying to accelerate the completion of the national road handling.